Blight of the Tormented
by WolfWarriorWoman
Summary: What starts as another typical day in Hellsalem's Lot ends badly for Leo when he falls victim to a terrible curse by a monstrous new foe. To make matters worse, the one responsible for the curse gives Libra a difficult ultimatum. What will Klaus and the rest of Libra decide and will Leo survive or will he and his All-Seeing Eyes be lost forever? T for now but rating may change
1. Another Day in Paradise (Or Not)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Blood Blockade Battlefront. This story is written purely for the purpose of entertainment. The general plot and characters, with the exception of the plot of this story and some characters within the story that are of my own design, are the sole property of its creator Yasuhiro Nightow and adapted into anime form by Studio Bones and licensed by Funimation in North America.  
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Prologue: Hellsalem's Lot, formerly known as New York City. Three years ago, the border between this world and the next was destroyed in an event known as the Great Collapse. The city was torn asunder as the two worlds collided and a mysterious fog enveloped the city and all matter of otherworldly beings spilled out. Thankfully due to efforts on both sides the Great Collapse was halted but in just one night everything changed. Now the city exists as a place where the world of humans (Huma) and the Alterworld intersects. In this city there also exists a secret society of super humans known as Libra, which works in the shadows to preserve the fractured balance of both worlds. Together they also fight against all matter of vicious criminals, terrorists, seedy Underworld organizations and vicious creatures known as Blood Breeds, which threaten both the city and everyday life for those who live there.

Chapter 1: Another Day in Paradise (Or Not)

Darkness. That was all the young man could see as he blinked his eyes open. The faint light of his own globes was his only source of light as he scanned the area around him. It was quiet, almost overbearingly so. He went to voice his concerns to whoever could hear him but nothing escaped his lips. Once more he tried but was met with the same result. A cold chill ran down his spine.

"Where am I?" he thought. "Why am I here?" Before anything else could occur a loud throbbing sound palpated through the darkness as he doubled over in pain clutching his head. He snapped his eyes open, activating his eyes in doing so to try and scan the area for signs of life but once more another audible throb tore through his core and he cried out in agony before collapsing to his knees. As he shook from his efforts to pull himself together the darkness began to slowly recede as an unnatural reddish light began to filter through the void, almost as if a large, unseen fire was starting to grow in size and intensity. Looking up from his kneeled position the young man could vaguely make out the faint shape of a humanoid form just a ways before him but was unable to discern any sort of features due to the unnatural light silhouetting its shape. Unable to decide whether he should feel afraid or relieved, he could only observe the figure until a bright crimson aura began to burn from it as it grew and shaped itself into wings that swirled in an unseen wind through the darkness.

"That color! That shape! That's a…" However before he could finish his thought the area erupted in a flash of white light as a loud screeching permeated the air around him into an annoying series of buzzes.

Startled awake by the sound of his alarm clock going off, Leonardo Watch's All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods snapped open having been semi triggered by the adrenaline rush of the dream as he panted from the depleting surge of energy.

"Just a dream," Leo mumbled with a sigh slowly beginning to settle himself down. He closed his eyes back into his usual squinting manner as he allowed the remnants of the lingering nightmare to slowly fade from his mind. With a groan he rolled over to slam his hand down on the power button before forcing himself up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got out of bed not even bothering to remake it. Yawning he mindlessly went into the usual mundane tasks of getting ready for the day. He made his way over to his apartment's closed window and pulled the cord to open the blinds and reveal the city landscape for that morning. However no sooner had he done so did a large Alterworld creature looking like a cross between a pterodactyl and an octopus coincidentally pass just outside his window roaring a warbled cry as it's many waving tentacles flailed through the air. Leo didn't so much as bat an eye, far too used to such things now, before he went to the small fridge in his apartment's tiny kitchen nook to see what meager scraps of food he could scrounge up for breakfast. Not finding anything of interest, Leo sighed again as he closed the fridge door. He rustled his shaggy dark reddish-brown hair in contemplation before looking to the digital clock on his nightstand, which read 7:02 am.

"Today's meeting doesn't start till 8:30. I guess I can stop some place and grab something cheap to eat. Donuts sound good and I can grab some for the meeting to share with everyone else." Leo said aloud to himself as he grabbed his clothes and headed towards the bathroom to get washed and changed.

Twenty minutes later Leo was dressed in his usual baggy blue and white sweatshirt with goggles hanging around his neck and matching blue sweat pants and sneakers. He locked his apartment door behind him before proceeding out his apartment building to his motorized scooter that was chained in the apartment complex's mini garage outside. On his way he waved to his landlady who was busy sweeping the walkway with her cat napping on the outside windowsill. She was a short, elderly pale pink Alterworldly being with squinted eyes almost similar to Leo's but with a downward slanted mouth and two blunt protrusions running down her face along her jaw line looking almost like upside down horns. She also wore a wool knit cap and a green sweater along with a long brown skirt and black slippers.

"Good morning miss Landlady," Leo greeted politely.

"Oh good morning Leonardo," the Alterworldly woman greeted back with a smile. "Heading out already?"

"Yeah," Leo replied with a small smile. "I just have some errands to run before work."

"Is that so," the landlady replied before giving a kind smile to the young tenant. "You certainly are quite the busybody, even if you don't always pay your rent on time." Leo stiffened at that and let out a sheepish chuckle.

"S-Sorry, I'll try to be more mindful about that."

"I should hope so," she replied a bit curtly before softening her tone. "In any case, I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Have a nice day."

"You too." With that she proceeded back to the sweeping as Leo took that as his cue to unlock his scooter. With his helmet on and goggles securely in place he started his motorized scooter's engine and drove off. As he drove down the typical bustling, overcrowded city streets he took in the usual strange sights he had become accustomed to.

"It's hard to believe it's been over a year now since I first came to Hellsalem's Lot. It kind of feels like it's been way longer than that," He mused internally as he observed the various people both Human and Beyondian alike before letting his mind wander a bit. "I wonder what kind of donuts I should get. Maybe a variety pack so everyone has a better chance to get something they like. Then again I'm pretty sure that Zapp would eat anything provided he doesn't eat the whole freaking box. Maybe I should get more than one box if they're on sale. That sounds like a good plan." A red light caused Leo to slow to a halt giving him a chance to pause in thought for a second before his mind went back to the nightmare from this morning.

"That dream from this morning was a bit unusual from the ones I usually have. I wonder if I've been working so hard that reality is starting to bleed into my dreams. Maybe I should ask for a day off so I can take it easy for a change." Leo shook his head slightly to clear his head of that idea. "No, I've still got rent to pay and I still have to send what I can back to Michella. Even though she and Toby got married and he's agreed to help pay her medical bills I still have to send what I can, even if it isn't much. Besides, its just a dumb dream." The light turned green and Leo sped off in the direction towards the bakery deciding to put an end to the matter for the time being.  
_

After selecting a couple boxes of cheap pastries of various flavors (all while trying to steer clear of the more questionable, creative and, in some cases, _living_ Alterworldly pastries) Leo then made his way to Libra's office building headquarters. He pulled off the road into the typical nondescript alley and parked before shutting off his engine and discreetly wheeling his vehicle towards where the office's hidden entrance was. After hiding his scooter in a safe spot behind a nearby dumpster, he grabbed the pastry boxes that were safely strapped down to the back from his scooter and made his way to the unassuming doorway, entering the elevator and closing the door behind him. He rode the intricate elevator up to the main level as the gears of the building turned and clacked above him, the elevator doors dinged and opened allowing Leo to step out into the hallway leading to the office.

Leo approached the office door with pastry boxes in hand, pausing for a brief second to mentally prepare himself for the usual shenanigans that had a tendency to wait on the other side. However as he twisted the doorknob and opened the door he was pleasantly surprised to only see Klaus at his desk to his left typing away on his computer and Gilbert who was watering the office's plants in Klaus' stead on the other side of the spacious and luxurious room. Upon hearing the door open Klaus glanced up from his screen to see who had come in.

"Ah Leonardo, good morning," Klaus Von Reinherz greeted in his usual gentlemanly manner. Klaus was a rather large, well-muscled man (especially compared to Leo's own height, which barely passed five feet) standing well over six and a half feet tall with rich, red hair and side-burns with bright green eyes behind a pair of rectangular glasses and a distinct fang-like under bite. He was wearing his usual white long sleeve shirt with a red tie under a black waistcoat, as well as black pants with white and brown dress shoes.

"Good morning Klaus," Leo replied with a small smile. "Good morning to you too Gilbert," he also added looking to the elderly Combat Butler who had also gazed towards the door's direction.

"And a good morning to you as well Master Leonardo," Gilbert F. Altstein replied with a polite nod and bow before he finished tending to the last of the plants. Gilbert was an older male with wavy gray hair and a mustache clad in typical butler attire with the exception of the bandages that covered most of his face save for his eyes, nose and mouth.

"You're here earlier than expected," Klaus declared as he saved the file he was working on his desktop. "The meeting isn't supposed to start for another half hour."

"I decided to stop by the bakery on 43rd and get some donuts for the meeting," Leo explained as he held out the pastry boxes reading Crimpy Crème to show Klaus. Setting the watering can down Gilbert approached Leo and took the boxes from him.

"That's quite thoughtful of you," Klaus said as he stood up from his desk and came around it making his way over to the young man. "That would go quite well with some coffee and tea as well."

"Indeed, I shall prepare some right away," Gilbert declared before setting the doughnuts down on one of the side tables near the center of the room and began prepping the coffee maker.

"I wasn't sure what everyone likes so I just got a large variety," Leo stated as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"It's quite alright," Klaus assured as he took a glance at the delectable pastries. "There's certainly nothing wrong with trying anything new." At that moment the door from the opposite end of the office opened and Steven A. Starphase walked in with a hand stuffed nonchalantly in his pocket. Steven was a tall man (though still naturally shorter than Klaus) with short black hair and a thin scar running down the left side of his face and a barely noticeable, red tattoo (of what Leo was unsure) running up the side of this neck. He was wearing his usual dark grey suit, blue shirt and a yellow tie and custom shoes with gem-studded crosses on the undersides. Immediately Steven noticed the other occupants in the room and a mildly surprised expression graced his features.

"Oh, so I'm not the only person here," the middle-aged man uttered.

"Steven, good morning," Leo greeted.

"Morning," Steven greeted nonchalantly as he shut the door and approached his colleagues. "It's actually pretty quiet in here for a change so I thought everyone hadn't arrived yet. Is anyone else here?"

"Not quite yet," Klaus replied. "But I agree it is quite a nice change of pace for things to be so peaceful." Unfortunately that peace was short lived as the doors Leo had come through swung open swiftly and Zapp Renfro unceremoniously swaggered in barely suppressing an obnoxiously loud yawn. He was a lanky though well bodied, white haired man despite clearly being in his mid-twenties with tan skin. He wore a black, long-sleeved muscle-shirt under a white vest suit and matching shoes.

"Ah man am I starved," Zapp announced before his eyes fell to the boxes of doughnuts on the table and made his way over to them. "Crimpy Crème donuts? Must be my lucky day," he commented with a smirk. However before he could even reach out to take one Leo quickly darted over and physically got in between him and the pastries outstretching his arms to shield the pastries from the white-haired male.

"Don't even think about it Zapp! I brought these for the meeting and they're for _everybody_. So you're just going to have to wait," Leo firmly declared with a hard stare.

"Huh?" Zapp drawled incredulously. "And why should I do that Pube-head. It should be first come, first serve right? And since I'm the first one here I get dibbs!"

"Don't be greedy!"

"Oh yeah?" Zapp retorted before grabbing Leo in a headlock and proceeded to grind his knuckles into his head. "Well what are you gonna do about it huh? Mr. Lord of the Pubes." As Leo squirmed in the older man's grasp while verbally protesting and cursing him out a figure suddenly materialized out of thin air and landed with feet planted firmly on Zapp's back causing Zapp to relinquish his hold on Leo and face plant hard into the ground skidding forward a couple feet.

"Ugh, I thought I landed on something disgusting and sure enough what do I see," Chain Sumeragi deadpanned. Chain was an attractive young woman with short black hair and clad in her usual black suit over a white dress shirt. She observed Zapp struggle underfoot for another second before nimbly leaping off him and Zapp immediately got to his feet fuming.

"What kind of crack was that She-Bitch?" Zapp snapped at the Invisible Werewolf as a bright red friction mark from the tile was clearly visible on his face and a trickle of blood ran from his nose from the hard impact. "You think you can just use people as your own personal doormat and just get away with it? Do you really wanna die that badly 'cause I'll be more than happy to help you with that!"

"You're welcome to try it if you can Turd Monkey. Or better yet, why don't you just go eat shit and die," Chain retorted coldly. As the two glared daggers at each other another voice came from the office's second story landing.

"Must you two be so noisy this early in the morning?" Leo, who wordlessly observed the typical banter between Zapp and Chain, turned his attention towards the direction the voice came from to see Zed O'Brien as he walked down the metal spiral staircase. Zed was a fish-man hybrid with yellow eyes, blue skin with black markings adorning his head & wrist-blades that extended backwards like fins. He wore a black, sleeveless form-fitting muscle-shirt, fingerless gloves & green cargo pants with metal sneakers with his usual breathing pods around his neck looking almost like sleek headphones.

"Hey Zed. Good morning," Leo greeted the merman as he approached.

"Good morning to you too Leo," Zed returned with a nod before redirecting his attention back to the still hostile Chain and Zapp. "So what kind of trouble has Zapp caused this time?"

"HUH?" Zapp shouted directing his attention away from his and Chain's glaring contest. "What makes you think _I'm_ the one that started it?" Leo, Chain and Zed merely gave him the same inscrutable expressions.

"Did you seriously just ask that question with a straight face?" Chain deadpanned.

"Honestly if I had ten zeros for every time you started any kind of trouble, I'd easily be the richest being in Hellsalem's Lot," Zed added.

"Oh screw you Fish Face! You too She-Bitch!" Zapp shouted flipping both Zed and Chain off. As Zapp hurled a flurry of insults towards the two Libra members, Leo took the opportunity to glance back to Klaus and Steven who were now seated on the couches just beyond Klaus' desk (effectively ignoring the ranting Zapp) discussing matters most likely regarding work while Gilbert poured them steaming cups of coffee. Leo gave a content smile at the usual scene.

"Just another typical day in paradise huh?" Leo thought inwardly. Just then a large explosion from just beyond the office buildings in the surrounding area slightly rocked the office and easily caught everyone's attention as they glanced towards the large bay windows.

"What was that?" Steven queried as he and Klaus approached the balcony to take a look. Gilbert handed Klaus a pair of binoculars so the larger man could scope out the cause.

"It seems as though we'll have to hold off on our meeting for the time being," Klaus declared as he passed the binoculars to Steven who gazed through the smoke and spotted a large horde of pale, red colored demon-beasts the size of a decently-sized truck with robotic limbs, giant gnashing teeth that encompassed the entirety of their faces and no eyes, tear apart the city below them as civilians ran for their lives.

"This has the King of Depravity written all over it," Steven deadpanned before the office's TV suddenly turned on by itself and sure enough a familiar mug graced the screen.

"HELLO ALL! Did you miss me? It's your friendly, if not somewhat megalomaniacal, but with a touch of charismatic charm, ruler of Hellsalem's Lot the King of Depravity, F-E-M-T!" The self-appointed King crooned practically mugging the camera with different poses and tones of arrogance as his assorted crew in the background commenced in their usual chaotic merry-making. Aligula, the Queen of Monomania, was also present in the background as well cackling and swinging her legs out from her spot on one of their larger minions shoulders clearly soaking in the revelry herself. Femt was a tall, thin Alterworldly humanoid with long limbs & blonde hair who wore a steel mask to hide his upper face along with a black suit & white gloves and an expensive lab coat over his suit. Aligula on the other hand was a short female Alterworldly humanoid who also wore a metallic mask over her face much like Femt however her mask was able to open in the middle to allow for her cyclopean eye to peer out. She had pink hair tied up into a ponytail with a pink bow as well as wore a simple black Lolita styled dress as well as black boots and white gloves.

"Speak of the devil. Damn I wish I could slug that bastard in the face," Zapp growled as Femt continued with his speech.

"As I'm sure most of you are aware at the moment, I've just concocted a new horde of demon-beasts with a bit of a new twist this time. Instead of eyes these cute little buggers possess the keenest sense of smell able to detect even a single drop of blood even from half a block away and go into quite the feeding frenzy. Which might be a problem for a certain group of my favorite entertainers, who I'm quite positive are listening to this." Everyone within the office shot the television screen hard glares as the madman continued.

"Oh well, I look forward to seeing how you all survive this time. Hopefully you can provide me with some decent entertainment. Oh and one more thing, I'd take care if this fast if I were you because when they reach the end of their lifespan—" Another explosion came from outside followed by a plume of smoke. "They have a tendency to take out everything around them. That's all for me for the moment. And remember folks, ONE FOR NONSENSE, ALL FOR NONSENSE!" Femt cackled madly before the screen turned itself off. Klaus turned to the rest of the gathered Libra members.

"Emergency Summons! We have to put an end to this before there is any more damage to the city!" Without a word the group rolled out as Leo just sighed and gave one last thought before filtering out after them.

"Yep, just another typical day alright."  
_

Author's Notes: Whoo! Finally, after a nearly four months of prepping and plotting, I've finally gotten enough done to start posting the first chapter. I absolutely love this series and want to do it and the characters justice, which is partially why it took so long to finally get it out (the other big reason being having the time to actually write). Unfortunately I'm only about two and a half chapters into the actual story as a whole and still have more I want and need to crank out before I edit and upload the next chapter so this means that updates will be slow and often sporadic because as I said, I want to do this story right (though I might take some liberties with a few things so please bear with me, I promise I'll do my best to stick to the original source material). That being said I hope this story catches the eye of readers and hope to get some constructive feedback about what you think of it so far. About the story itself, I'm sticking mainly to the anime version rather than the manga version of the series and have dropped the Japanese suffixes used by the characters such as –san and –kun since Hellsalem's Lot is technically located in America instead of Japan. With all that out of the way, I hope to see you all next chapter where more insanity is sure to follow! (P.S. If anyone can tell me how to properly do the line breaks in Doc Manager I'd really appreciate it. I haven't posted anything in quite a while and can't for the life of me remember or figure out how to do it or spacing properly and it keeps defaulting on me when I try and save any changes)


	2. Good Intentions and Bad Karma

Chapter 2: Good Intentions and Bad Karma

Cleaning up the remnants of Femt's latest mess took well into the afternoon. K.K. had shown up in the middle to lend some much needed long-range assistance but by the time the last demon-beast was subdued and put down the city had taken a decently heavy blow. By the time everything was said and done it was well past noon and the necessary clean-up work had taken another hour on top of that. Leo staggered into the office and immediately threw himself face down onto the office's couches to rest. A low groan of exhaustion and discomfort from all the new bruises and scrapes he accumulated escaped his lips.

"Of course those freakin' things didn't have eyes. That would be too damn easy," Leo mumbled into the fabric of the couch with an irritated tone and frown. As he lay there for a moment of silence the sound of the door opening and several footfalls entered the room. Before Leo could turn his head to see who had entered a heavy weight landed on top of his head practically smothering him into the couch. As he flailed and uttered muffled protests and curses a familiar voice spoke up.

"You know if you leave yourself open like this it just gives me clearance to mess with you right," Zapp remarked with a tone of cockiness. Reacting on instinct, Leo dug his palms into the fabric and using all of his adrenaline-fueled strength managed to lift himself up enough to take a short breath only for his strength to give out and Leo face-planted into the couch again. Finally another voice spoke up.

"Enough already Zapp. You don't want to be the cause of him actually suffocating again do you?" Steven said in a flat tone. Zapp clicked his tongue but relented and got up off him just as Leo was on the verge of passing out. With a gasping breath Leo launched himself up from the couch before turning fuming to the white-haired Big Dipper Style user.

"Are you trying to kill me _twice_ you jackass?" Leo snapped.

"Geeze kid, what's got your panties in a twist?" Zapp questioned indifferently as he pulled out a cigar from his vest pocket and stuck it in his mouth.

"Don't act like you don't know!" Leo retorted sharply. Zapp just looked at him blankly while Leo elaborated.

 _Flashback:_

 _Leo weaved in and out of lanes on the abandoned roads on his scooter as a horde of demon-beasts tailed him getting dangerously closer._

 _"_ _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Leo repeated to himself as he narrowly avoided getting chomped. "Why do I have to be the bait for these things?" A slight shift in the weight on the back of his motorized scooter answered his question._

 _"_ _Because these things possess no eyes for you to control, which unfortunately limits our options," Chain replied calmly as she narrowly avoided one swipe from a creature that got too close before kicking another limb away. "Just keep driving towards the designated spot."_

 _"_ _R-Right," Leo agreed as he focused on the road. As the duo reached the upcoming intersection, several large blood crosses rained down safely cutting off the demon-beasts from further pursuing Leo and Chain as well as cutting off the other exits trapping them within the abandoned intersection._

 _"_ _I've boxed them in. Commence operation!" Klaus spoke through his earpiece to the rest of the Libra team._

 _"_ _Roger!" K.K.— a tall, thin woman with chin-length blonde hair & blue eyes, clad in a red trench-coat over a black crop-top, shorts & thigh-high high-heeled boots and wearing an eye-patch over her right eye—_ _responded from her knelt position on top of the adjacent building's rooftop before cocking her hi-tech automatic sniper rifle and letting loose a spray of electrified bullets as she began sniping the robotic limbs rights off the demon-beasts bodies leaving them practically limbless and immobile. "God what a pain. I could easily snipe these things and take them out right here."_

 _"_ _But if you do then their corpses will detonate, which could prove problematic for us," Steven's cool voice came through her earpiece._

 _"_ _Tch! Just shut up and do your part Starphase," K.K. snapped in irritation._

 _"_ _With pleasure," Steven replied as he shifted his stance and allowed his ice powers to flare out in a cold mist. "Esmerelda Blood Freeze: Viento del Cero Absoluto!" Immediately the cold mist expelled outwards in a sub-zero wind that froze the wriggling demon-beasts solid._

 _"_ _That should hold them for the time being until we can figure out a way to safely transport them away from the city," Klaus remarked._

 _"_ _Let's just hope these things don't die in the ice otherwise it'll cause more collateral damage," Steven chipped in as Leo slumped against his handlebars in relief and Chain still hung out on the back of his scooter in her usual crouched position._

 _"_ _I thought I was going to get eaten for sure," Leo sighed to himself. However before anything else could be accomplished the building just behind Leo erupted in a spray of rubble and dust as a rogue demon-beast smashed through with its sights focused on the young holder of the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods. Leo screamed in panic while Chain just immediately diluted herself to escape. Just as it looked like Leo would wind up the creature's latest meal, multiple blood threads ensnared Leo as well as his scooter and yanked him backwards into the air just narrowly avoiding the beast's maw._

 _"_ _Zapp! Zed!" Leo exclaimed in grateful relief as he looked over his shoulder to his rescuers. "Thanks for that!"_

 _"_ _Don't thank us just yet!" Zed replied as the demon-beast recovered from the miss and immediately refocused its attention towards the hovering Leo's general direction._

 _"_ _These things don't seem to be very picky eaters if they're actually trying to go after such a scrawny, pube-covered snack." Suddenly something seemed to dawn on him before a mischievous smirk appeared on Zapp's face. "Which gives me an idea."_

 _"_ _What are you—" Before Leo could question Zapp's apparent idea and not liking the look on Zapp's face one bit, Leo suddenly found himself, still essentially strapped to his vehicle by Zapp's threads, thrown through the air and towards the charging demon-beast. As Leo let out another horrified scream as he saw the beast's gnashing teeth and gaping mouth another set of blood threads, courtesy of the quick-thinking Zed, wrapped around his waist and torso and yanked him off just in time for the creature to chomp down and swallow Leo's scooter whole with Zapp's threads still attached. With a feral grin Zapp flicked open his blood lighter._

 _"_ _Seventh Hell!" Zapp declared as he flicked the ignition and his blood threads ignited traveling down straight into the beast's jaws, which were connected to the fuel tank and exploding both it and the demon-beast from the inside out in a spray of viscera and purple blood as well as taking out a good chunk of the street and sidewalk the beast had previously resided. "Heh, piece of cake," Zapp declared cockily as he flipped his lighter into the air and caught it. Zed however looked a bit put off by Zapp's tactics and poor Leo could only sit on the pavement with his mouth hanging agape in disbelief._

"If you're going to resort to those kind of tactics you could at least warn someone! Of all the reckless stunts you pulled, chucking me at that thing like I was a freaking baseball is one of the worst things you've ever done! And not only that but my scooter got completely destroyed because of you! Not only was I still paying it off but do you have any idea how long I'm going to have to work to afford another one you inconsiderate asshole?" Leo ranted as Zapp looked completely unashamed by his actions as he cleaned out an ear with his pinky.

"Yeah, well maybe next time I won't even bother to save your scrawny ass the next time you're about to get eaten then," Zapp waved off dismissively as Leo seethed.

"A work order for your vehicle's replacement has already been put in," Gilbert notified Leo the moment there was a lull in conversation as he stood stoically by the observing Klaus' side. Immediately Leo's anger was replaced with surprised confusion as he looked back to the observing pair.

"Wait, really?"

"Considering your scooter is a necessity for your part-time job and because of your involvement in today's efforts, Libra will gladly take care of the expenses," Klaus informed before adding one last thing. "Though it might take some time for the work order to be completed." Regardless Leo gave his boss a relieved and grateful smile.

"Thank you very much Klaus. I promise I'll work hard to pay back however much it'll take," Leo said instantly feeling self-conscious.

"Think nothing of it," Klaus assured returning the smile with a faint one of his own.

"Well now that that's settled, we can finally have our official meeting for the day, even if it _is_ several hours overdue," Steven voiced as he glanced towards the wall clock.

"Oh yeah, I'll get the donuts," Leo said as he made his way over to where Gilbert had last set them. However as he approached he noticed that all three boxes were slightly opened and upon looking inside every single pastry was gone. "HUH?"

"Man, Crimpy Crème really does have the best donuts don't they?" Zapp declared unabashed as he picked his teeth with his fingernail. The other Libra members sent him disapproving glares as Leo slowly and robotically turned his head towards him with another seething scowl before launching into his second rant for the day.  
_

Several hours later, Leo was walking his usual route home from Libra's Headquarters as the sun had almost entirely set and the streetlights had yet to come on. He let out a discontented sigh as his shoulders sagged slightly thinking back to the day's events.

"And I had such high hopes for the day. First a creepy nightmare and then my scooter gets trashed by a reckless monster who devours everything in sight and a demon-beast with no eyes. It's like I just can't catch a break today," Leo mumbled as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Well whatever, at least the day is almost over and I can go home and relax." As Leo passed by the opening to an alley several voices coming from the depths caught his attention.

"What'd you say you old geezer?" Immediately Leo stopped and glanced behind him to the alley opening. Cautiously he approached the entrance and peeked around the corner where sure enough he saw three Alterworld thugs dressed in various gangster style clothing surrounding what to be an elderly Alterworld woman who was literally backed against the wall. She was a short humanoid woman, about half a foot shorter than Leo with silver, unruly and slightly frayed hair. She was dressed in what appeared to be old yet luxurious robes and possessed a closed third eye in the middle of her forehead and faint blue skin with horns similar to a ram's protruding from her skull as one hand clutched a intricately carved wooden cane and the other was positioned behind her back. However despite the three thugs surrounding her she stared at them with a sharp and defiant gaze.

"I believe I told you my answer you damned miscreants. Unless your ears are worse than my own," she snidely remarked.

"Why you! Just shut the hell up and fork over your money you old hag!" One of the Alterworld brutes spat. Leo's brows furrowed in both worry for the woman's safety as well as vexation at the callous hoodlums.

"This isn't going to end well. I have to do something!" With that he took a deep breath and emerged from around the corner and strolled into the alley as confidently as he could. "Hey, you!" Immediately the thugs as well as the old woman, whose third eye even opened in surprise, looked to Leo with shock evident on their faces, though in the thugs' cases it didn't last long before annoyed and aggravated expressions quickly replaced the surprise.

"What do you want pipsqueak?" one thug snapped who had a slender humanoid form but looked almost like a cross between a frilled lizard and a Crocodilian judging by the snout and tail.

"Yeah, can't you see we're in the middle of something?" Another thug with a praying mantis-like face and mandibles and an oblong-shaped head with blunt spike-like protrusions garbled while the third one, a portly slug-like being with multiple beady eyes on eyestalks and an impossibly large mouth, sneered menacingly at the young interloper. Leo felt his resolve slip a little but stood his ground even as he stumbled a bit over his words.

"L-Look, just leave her alone all right. I don't know what led you guys to this point. Maybe you're down on your luck and going through a rough patch or maybe something happened between you all and things just got out of hand. But doing something like this isn't right!" Leo expressed with sincerity trying to talk the brutes down. "She's just an elderly woman. She could easily be someone's grandmother. You wouldn't do something like this to your own grandmother would you?" The three thugs exchanged looks to each other before they busted out laughing.

"You're kidding right? How freakin' naïve can you be?" the reptilian thug questioned mockingly.

"Yeah, if it were _my_ grandmother, I'd have done the old crone in myself," the slug-like thug added.

"YOU'RE HORRIBLE!" Leo exclaimed unable to help his outburst. Before he could react further, Leo then found himself being grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled upwards slightly to stare up into the Alterworldly slug creature's face.

"Yeah, well what are you going to do about it huh?" The slug-like thug questioned getting his face close to Leo's in a clear intimidation tactic. Leo grunted and wriggled in the hooligan's grip.

"I knew this was going to end badly," Leo mused inwardly. "I have to convince the old woman to—" However as Leo turned his head to look back to the old woman he found that she had disappeared from sight. "SHE'S ALREADY GONE?!" Leo exclaimed in shock. This however caught the thugs' attention as well.

"What? Damn it! There goes our pay out!" The mantis thug cursed.

"Tch! Guess that means we'll have to settle with the next best thing," the slug-like brute replied as he lifted Leo up off the ground and socked him hard in the gut causing him to gasp and double over as he was released and fell to the ground. As Leo coughed and tried to catch his breath they each took turns kicking and punching him mercilessly while Leo tried his best to shield himself from the blows by curling into a ball and covering his head with his arms though not before a number of solid hits hit their mark. After what felt like fifteen minutes of the endless assault, the brutes finally stopped before Leo suddenly felt one thug's hand reach into his pocket and pull out his wallet.

"Tch! This isn't even enough to pay for a good bottle of booze," the reptilian mugger growled as he flipped through it.

"Forget it, let's just get outta here before the Police Suits come snoopin' around," the slug-like being shrugged off. As the battered and bruised Leo began to relax he was suddenly greeted with one last parting shot kick to the side by the reptilian causing him to cough from getting the wind knocked out of him yet again before the three ruffians finally stalked off. Leo lay still for a moment longer to be sure they had actually left before he slowly pulled himself up from lying on the ground into a kneeling position on his hands and knees. As he moved he could feel the new bruises on top of his old ones from the day's events. He raised a hand to his head and face to tentatively inspect the new bumps he acquired and wipe off the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand before looking at the blood smear and letting out a sigh.

"Ugh! And I thought I would be used to these sorts of things by now," he couldn't help but mutter to himself before raising his head only to be greeted with a face only a few inches from his own. Crying out in shock Leo practically threw himself backwards to gain some much needed space before realizing it was the old woman from before.

"Oh, it's you," Leo said instantly calming down. "I thought you were long gone by now. Are you all right? Those creeps didn't hurt you did they?" The elderly Alterworld woman however didn't say anything or even move for a solid minute. The only indication Leo had to the fact that she wasn't a statue was the fact that her beady eyes, including the third eye positioned in the middle of her forehead, was focused entirely on him almost as if studying him intensely. Before Leo could ask if something was wrong, the old woman finally moved only to raise her cane and whack Leonardo firmly on the top of his head.

"OW! What was that for?" Leo asked incredulously and a bit exasperated as he cringed and nursed the newest bump on his head. Finally the old woman spoke.

" _That_ was for insinuating I am old enough to be someone's grandmother," she replied as she thumped the tip of her cane on the ground pointedly. "I may be old but I'm not _that_ old." Leo could only gawk at her unsure of how to react before she continued to speak this time in a bit of a more curious tone. "Why would you do that anyway?"

"Huh?" Leo uttered. "I mean I just assumed you were at the age where—" Another swift whack upside the head stopped Leo mid-sentence as he yelped and recoiled once again from the impact.

"Not that! I mean why would you willingly get involved with those boorish imbeciles?" As Leo slowly recovered from the second blow from the wooden cane he only looked at her as she elaborated. "Most people in this city are only concerned about themselves. Whether it's taking whatever they please from those they consider weak like those miserable louts or surviving day to day from all the chaos of this city not caring about what ill fate befalls other people. So long as it isn't them, what do they care? Not only this city, but this whole word and even the Alterworld beyond, is full of ignorant, self-absorbed cretins," she finished bitterly with a visible scowl on her face before she collected herself and glanced to Leonardo. "So why didn't you do the same?" This time Leo was the one who was silent for a good moment still seated on the ground before he finally responded.

"I didn't think I needed a reason." Immediately the woman's judging expression fell into one of confused surprise before Leo continued. "I mean isn't it common sense to want to help someone you see is in trouble? On one hand sure, I admit it may have been the smart thing to do to just walk away and gone on pretending I didn't see anything. If I had I could've kept my money from being stolen and not have gotten beat up because like you said, it didn't involve me so why should I care? But…that way of thinking just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe I'm a bit selfish or self-righteous for doing so but if I see something wrong, I just want to do whatever I can to try and help make things right even if it might not be much." The Alterworldly woman's three eyes simultaneously blinked in clear disbelief at what she had just heard before she quickly recollected herself.

"In all my years of frequenting this city I have to say I honestly never expected anyone to still have those kinds of feelings. I always assumed the line between right and wrong was lost ages ago between both Huma and Beyondian alike. It's admittedly a refreshing thing to see," she articulated with surprise evident in her tone as well as perhaps even a twinge of approval. However it did not last long before it quickly disappeared and a look of irritation took its place and she thrust her cane out pointing to Leo. "However, having those kinds of feelings are pointless if you don't have the power to back them up." It was at that point she revealed her other hand that Leo just now realized had still been behind her back the whole time. In it were three miniature half-formed clay dolls that almost had a striking resemblance to the three robbers from earlier.

"Are those—"

"I know full well the true intentions of most inhabitants in this city and planned accordingly. I had every intention of seeing that those three got their just desserts but then you came along right before I had the chance to finish. Pity; I thought I could rid this city of three less wretches." Leo barely managed to suppress a shiver at the genuinely threatening implication behind her words before she spoke again and put the dolls away into her cloak. "But _you_ should have at the very least attempted to fight back; throw a punch or something or if nothing else come up with some sort of plan that didn't involve getting the snot beat out of you!" She articulated jabbing Leo in the chest accusingly with the end of her cane. Leo simply rubbed the back of his head before responding.

"I suppose I could have done that but what would have been the point if I did? Physically speaking three against one is way out of my league and what little options I do have to defend myself are…" Leo paused for a moment as he thought about the possibility of using his eyes to skirt the bad situation. "Not plausible," he finished before continuing. "And even if by some miracle I did manage to fight them off what would have happened then? They would have eventually retaliated and come back at me even worse the next time and it would have just needlessly escalated. It's just easier to let them do as they please then shrug it off." The elderly woman's expression however showed that she did not agree in the slightest before Leo said something else that once more caught her off guard.

"As for not having a plan well…" Leo finally got to his feet before removing one of his shoes and lifting up the inner sole revealing a false bottom with more money tucked away. Leo then turned his pants pockets inside out revealing hidden inner pockets along the seam with even more cash safely tucked away out of sight. "I'm unfortunately kind of used to this sort of thing so I came up with this system a while back to spread out the cash on me and it works pretty well. The wallet is just a decoy with small change, though it is a bit of a pain to have to keep buying new wallets every time one gets taken," he explained with a small grin as he readjusted his pockets and slipped his shoe back on. Stunned for the second time that day, the Alterworldly woman gaped at Leo like he was an oddity before her face relaxed into a small smile and she suddenly started chuckling lightly much to Leo's confusion.

"You…are a surprisingly normal young man," she couldn't help but declare with a much lighter tone in her voice than Leo had yet to hear from her.

"Is that strange?" Leo asked with a slight questioning tilt of his head.

"For this city it certainly is," she simply retorted. "Tell me, what's your name?"

"Leonardo Watch. But my friends call me Leo for short," Leo replied as he cordially extended his hand. For a moment Leo was unsure if the old woman would return the favor but surprisingly she did as she placed her wrinkled hand in his.

"Pascia Okieelv," she replied before they promptly released their grips and she continued. "…Of course that's just an alias."

"Huh?" Leo articulated with his brows furrowing in confusion. "Wait you mean that's not your real name?"

"Of course not," she replied. "I never tell people my true name. Don't you know there's an old saying that names have power? So it's too risky to tell anyone."

"So then why tell me at all?" Leo deadpanned sweatdropping.

"I don't normally tell just anyone my name, alias or no. But you…" she paused to briefly scan Leo from head to toe. "You're an exception. So honestly you should feel honored that I even decided to tell you even that." Leo could only gawk at her incredulously before deciding to just go along with it.

"Uh, right. Well thanks for that, I guess. So…what were you doing in this alley anyway when those guys jumped you? Were you headed someplace?" Leo asked curiously.

"No, I was simply passing through," the woman more or less known as Pascia replied. "As I mentioned before I occasionally frequent the city from time to time and I often like to take strolls during the twilight hours. This time however I just so happened to bump into those blockheaded imps as I was passing by and they somehow convinced themselves that I was an easy but lucrative target."

"I see," Leo responded with a slight frown.

"What about you?" Pascia asked with an arched brow. "You seem more like the type to spend your time in the comfort of your own home than be out in a place like this especially now that the sun has set and the more disreputable characters come out." Leo couldn't help a small chuckle.

"Well you're not wrong about that," he replied with a sheepish grin. "I was actually just on my way home from my job when I overheard everything that happened." Leo then crossed his arms and continued speaking under his breath more to himself then anything else. "One thing's for sure, I'm going to sleep like log once I get home after everything that's happened today. Provided nothing else happens on my way home and I don't have anymore creepy dreams." Pascia's formerly relaxed expression promptly changed into one of piqued interest.

"Creepy dreams you say?" She repeated questioningly. Immediately Leo blushed slightly feeling a bit overly exposed at the slip of the tongue.

"Ah, no. I-It's nothing," he insisted waving his hands in a dismissive gesture however Pascia didn't buy it as she studied him for a moment before gaining some kind of look of understanding causing her third eye to widen ever so slightly. For a split second a look of actual dread appeared on her face before she quickly replaced it with a hardened expression of seriousness. Leo caught the split second look but before he could question it, Pascia spoke.

"You know there's another saying that dreams have their own meanings. You Huma only consider dreams to be subconscious representations of thoughts, desires or fears but sometimes they can provide insight to things you might not even be aware of. You shouldn't always dismiss them so lightly." Leo grimly thought back to the crimson-clad figure in his dream and gulped.

"I-It was just a dumb dream probably brought on by stress that's all," Leo said with a slight stutter sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than the woman before him. "I'm sure it didn't mean anything and that a decent night's sleep is all I need. Of course knowing my rotten luck with how today's gone I probably will just end up not getting any rest at all tonight," Leo said grumbling the later part under his breath. However Pascia heard the last part and glowered as a result before she promptly tapped her cane hard on the stone ground underneath getting Leo's attention.

"You shouldn't say things like that so lightly!" She aggressively asserted. "Just as there is power to be had in names, this is true for words as well. Not only that but negativity more often than not brings about bad karma so saying such pessimistic things like that only invites disaster!" Her expression turned from gravely serious to a bit sullen as she briefly averted her gaze and muttered. "But I fear that it is probably already too late for you." Leo however heard this clearly and felt dread creep into his being.

"Uh, what do you mean by that?" he asked a bit stiffly. She however did not reply as the streetlights from the main roads came on one at a time. Instead she redirected her gaze back to his direction.

"Never you mind," she said hastily. "The sun has completely set now and it's getting late so you'd best hurry back to your home."

"Uh, yeah. I guess I should," Leo agreed a bit numbly. "Will you be alright on your own?" She gave him a wry grin.

"Don't you worry about me; just get going already," she urged with a small shooing motion of her hand. Leo complied but as he turned to exit the alley one last comment made him stop and look back. "And Leonardo, I advise you stick to the main roads on your way home. I believe you know as well as I do there are far worse things than muggers prowling around out there." A loud humming followed by a pop and flash of light made Leo practically jump out of his skin as he whirled around to find the source only to see the flitting sparks of a burst light bulb from the streetlight just beyond the alley's entrance. Relaxing a bit Leo glanced back to Pascia only to find much to his shock that she had once more disappeared completely. He scanned the area around him, even going so far as to crack his All-Seeing Eyes open a little to see where she had gone but to no avail.

"How does someone her age move so damn fast?" Leo muttered to himself as he scratched his head in confusion. However as he stood in the alleyway by himself he began to feel anxiety creep up his spine as he shivered a little before he promptly turned and speed-walked out of the alley continuing on his way home. As he stuck to the main sidewalk, which was surprisingly and unnaturally void of other people for that time of night, Leo's gaze kept darting to every flicker of light and movement of shadow until finally he was less than a block away from his apartment. "Calm down Leo," he thought to himself inwardly. "You're just being paranoid but you're almost home now. Nothing is going to happen!" Suddenly the clanging of a trashcan once more startled Leo out of his skin as he let out a yelp and his eyes nearly shot open in surprise. He turned his entire body to the source of the noise, which just so happened to come from deep within another darkened alleyway just as a trashcan lid rolled unsteadily out of the darkness before falling over and rotating a few times before landing with a clatter.

"Ahahaha, yeah, no thank you!" Leo laughed nervously as he slowly turned to walk away until the sound of something fast approaching him struck his ears. As he grimly recalled Pascia's warning Leo felt himself begin to sweat as he fearfully contemplated what he should do. With a nervous gulp he mustered his courage and turned back to the alley. "Oh screw it! Just bring it on already!" No sooner had he said these words than a dark blur jumped out of the shadows and Leo cried out in fear as he shielded his face as the thing landed in front of him. For a split moment Leo held his pose until he took a chance to peek and saw much to his relief that the culprit was none other than Sonic, a small white Alterworldly hybrid monkey with a large head and thin body with big yellow eyes, who simply gazed up at him with silent curiosity. Nearly face vaulting out of the immense relief and anticlimactic turn of events Leo released a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he placed a hand over his heart.

"Goddamn it Sonic! You nearly gave me a freaking heart attack!" Leo chastised after he regulated his breathing. The little Sonic Speed Monkey merely tilted his head in clear disinterest before jumping and climbing up Leo's body and perching himself on his shoulder. "Where have you been all day anyway?" As expected the little monkey did not answer aside from a few blinks but Leo still felt a sense of comfort nonetheless. He gave a light sigh and smile before turning to continue down the sidewalk. "Come on, let's go home." Sonic glanced to Leo before his large eyes widened and he began chattering incessantly motioning to something right behind Leo. Faster than Leo could react, he felt slender yet strong hands clamp down on him and he felt himself get yanked forcibly backwards into the dark alleyway with a startled yelp. After getting whipped around like a rag doll, the firm grasp on Leo was released as he was tossed hard to the ground where he rolled over a couple times before coming to a stop and Sonic, who had clutched to Leo during the terrifying ride, bolted off into the depths of the alley to hide. Leo shakily tried to get to his feet but was stopped halfway by a suave yet menacing voice.

"Don't bother getting up boy. I'll only knock you back down again." The kneeling Leo craned his head up to look at the culprit and his blood instantly ran cold. Before him stood what appeared to be at first glance a normal yet tall, well-built man wearing a simple yet pristine grey long coat with a red belt and black business slacks tucked into black boots. He had long, spiky black hair slicked back into a ponytail but his wild bangs were parted to the left side of his face and despite his composed body language and calm tone of voice, the man's piercing red eyes were crazy and slit-like much like a serpent's as he grinned menacingly showing his sharpened canines. However what Leo was panicking over was not the man's eyes or teeth but the distinct crimson aura that largely flared out from him like wings.

"Blood Breed," Leo realized mentally as he shook in horror. Doing the only thing he could think of, Leo turned and tried to scramble to his feet to run but the second he took his first step he felt a hand swiftly wrap around his ankle and pull him back causing Leo to crash to the ground before he was flung back and slammed hard into the stone wall of a building. The air was knocked out of him for the third time that day but before Leo could even slump down, the Blood Breed was on him in a second. The same slender yet strong hand with sharpened fingernails clamped firmly over Leo's mouth and kept him pinned against the wall hanging a few feet from the ground. Leo let out muffled whimpers and protests while attempting to pry the ironclad grip off of him as he tried struggle out of the monster's grasp.

"Didn't I just tell you not to bother getting up," the Blood Breed said with an over-exaggerated sigh and shake of his head. "You Huma are just so pitiful I swear. But then again, I suppose it's only natural for prey to try and run when cornered by a predator. They are especially painfully aware of their own mortality when they realize exactly what manner of beast is before them. You know exactly what I'm talking about don't you…Leonardo Watch, holder of the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods." Leo's breath hitched as a muffled gasp escaped him as he went completely rigid.

"No! How does he know?" He thought as he quivered in panic and sweat dripped from his brow. A feral grin stretched across the Blood Breed's face as he seemed to revel in the lad's fear.

"Yes, I know full well who you are and what those blasted eyes of yours are capable of," he began. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as the King of Pain, one of the Thirteen Kings that rules over this Godforsaken city as well as a humble Elder Class Blood Breed," the self-proclaimed king introduced with a mock bow. "Pleased to meet you. I've been observing you from afar for quite some time now just biding my time until the right moment to strike." He gave another menacing grin. "And now I finally have you right where I want you." Leo's heart was pounding so painfully hard in his chest that he could barely hear the Blood Breed before him.

"This is it then. I'm going to die," Leo realized as he trembled, cold dread washing over him and a few more drops of sweat ran down his temple. However what the Blood Breed said next caught him completely off guard.

"Relax. Believe it or not I don't plan on killing you…anytime soon anyway." Leo made a muffled sound of confusion before the King of Pain elaborated. "You see I have some pretty big plans in store for this city and while I could easily kill you and take out one of the biggest thorns in my— _our_ side, that wouldn't be nearly as fun as what I have planned. And _you_ get to play a big part in it, aren't you lucky?" he asked with a sickeningly sweet smile as he raised his other hand to Leo's face to pry open one of his eyes so he could get a better look at the godly orb as his smirk grew. "It's actually a bit ironic when I think about it, that the very eyes that are our biggest harbinger of misfortune will soon become our greatest source of freedom." With a sinister chuckle he removed his hand from Leo's pried open eye allowing it to close before he brought his index finger to his mouth and bit down hard enough to draw blood as it trickled down in dark drops. Once a good amount of blood had been drawn the King of Pain motioned to place the bloodied finger between Leo's eyes.

"This won't hurt a bit. But then again, maybe it will," he chuckled. Unsure of what the Alterworldly bloodsucker was trying to do but unwilling to find out, Leo consumed by panic resumed his muffled protests and struggles once more attempting to try and pry the beast's clawed hand off of him and even going so far as to lash his feet out to land a few well placed kicks to the Blood Breed's torso to get him to release him. However the well-bodied vampire didn't budge or even flinch and the only thing it served to do was cause the grip on Leo's face to tighten painfully, fingernails digging uncomfortably into the sides of Leo's face as he was forced harder into the brick wall behind him.

"Oh please. Quit your squirming and just accept your fate brat," the King of Pain said unamused as he pressed the tip of his finger firmly to Leo's forehead and closed his eyes in apparent concentration. To Leo's fear, the crimson aura that surrounded the monster before him flared up aggressively as the Blood Breed began to chant in an Alterworldly tongue that he had never heard before. Almost immediately a mild burning sensation made itself known to Leo that started from the spot on his forehead that the Elder Class Blood Breed was touching and spread out and traveled over almost every inch of him as he felt something begin to form over him. Leo let out another muffled cry, this time of discomfort the mild burning grew into a sharp searing pain. Sonic, who had taken to hiding behind a nearby dumpster, poked his head out and watched in both fear and worry as he watched his human friend suffer as strange red, glowing markings briefly appeared all over Leo's body. This seemed to go on for what felt like an eternity for Leo until finally both the chanting and the burning stopped as the strange runes dissolved into his body. Leo slumped in the King of Pain's grasp as the Elder Blood Breed panted slightly from exhaustion before giving a satisfied grin.

"That's step one down, now on to step two." Leo cast a nearly spent glance of fear up at the Blood Breed anxiously wondering what he had in store next. Once more the King of Pain began a different chant as Leo felt an unusual shift in energy that pooled out from the Blood Breed's hand that circulated down around his face as this time green runes appeared around Leo's throat. The chant this time around however was much shorter and with no accompanying pain so the second he finished the chant and the strange sensation encircling his throat disappeared, Leo was surprised when the Blood Breed suddenly released him. Leo winced from the rough landing before he rubbed his neck to see if he could feel anything there.

"W-What did you just do to me?" Leo asked shakily as he stared up at the madly grinning monstrosity.

"Simple, I cursed you." Leo felt his blood run cold as his face paled.

"Cursed?" Leo repeated numbly. "What kind of curse?" The King of Pain's already wide grin just stretched a fraction wider that, along with his widened creepy red slitted eyes, made him look absolutely terrifying.

"Now why would I tell you that and go and ruin the surprise. Not like you can do anything about it now anyway." Leo felt his fear shift slightly and a well of defiant anger sprung up in him as he rose to his feet.

"You won't get away with this! My friends and I will figure out a way out stop whatever you're planning!" Instead of getting angry the black-haired Blood Breed merely gave a knowing smirk.

"Oh, and what will you tell them?"

"That you—" a sudden painful squeezing sensation around his throat caused him to break off mid-sentence as the green runes appeared around Leo's throat. His hands flew up to his neck and he fell to his knees choking and gasping before the squeezing sensation wore off and he coughed trying to catch his breath. "W-What…what was that?"

"Oh that? That was the second hex I placed on you," the King of Pain said nonchalantly as he kneeled down to Leo's height. Leo gaped at him as the vampire elaborated. "See I know full well that those blasted Fang Hunters will stick their noses in this matter if they're ever made aware of it. So I simply made it so that you can't tell them or anyone else about what happened here. If you try to do so then that hex will activate and silence you before you can even say a single word." Leo swallowed but tried to retort back anyway.

"T-then _I'll_ find a way to break it! You won't have any power over me!" The King of Pain simply let out a barking laugh.

"You honestly think I didn't think of that? The remedy for _that_ particular problem should be starting shortly." Before Leo could ask him what he meant a wave of dizziness suddenly started to overcome him. He swayed slightly before placing a hand to his head to try and gather his bearings. "You see the initial curse I placed on you is a formidable one but in its early stages it is far too fragile. If it were to be discovered before it had a chance to mature then everything I planned would be for naught. That's where this second part of the hex comes into play. By forcibly suppressing your memories of everything that happened here, not even _you_ will be aware of anything amiss while the curse matures and does its job." Another wave of dizziness nearly knocked Leo out for the count as his vision began to swim.

"The only downside is that the memory suppression is only temporary but it is of no major consequence. By the time you fully remember everything it will be far too late." Leo's strength gave out and he collapsed onto his side as darkness began to creep into the sides of his vision as he struggled to stay awake. The cocky Blood Breed rose to his full height as he observed the lad for a brief moment longer. Before Leo's eyes shut fully the last thing he registered was the King of Pain's piercing red eyes and manic grinning face staring down at him.

"I look forward to seeing how things will play out once the curse has reached its peak." With that last sentence Leo's consciousness was soon swallowed whole.  
_

Furry paws and worried chattering slowly roused Leo from his unconscious state. Leo groaned before opening his eyes only to see Sonic's worried face hovering inches over his own.

"W-wha? Sonic?" Leo uttered starting to come out of his daze. Slowly he sat up and shook himself awake before taking in his surroundings. "What the hell am I doing here?" He asked in mild confusion and panic. "The last thing I remember is you jumping out of the alley and then…" Leo trailed off at a loss as he looked to his furry companion who glanced back up at him with worry evident in his large eyes. "Did I get mugged again?" When Sonic gave no reply Leo mulled over the possibilities that could have happened to explain the sudden lapse in memory but came up empty. Feeling unsettled, Leo pulled himself up onto his feet and scratched his head. "I don't like this. But I think the best thing to do right now is to just head home." Sonic immediately perched himself on Leo's shoulder once more, concern still etched onto his primate face as Leo mechanically made his way out of the alley and back onto the street. However unbeknownst to the two, the responsible Elder Class Blood Breed sat perched on the rooftop's ledge just overhead.

"I wonder just how long the boy will manage to hold out before the burden gets to be too much for him," the King of Pain asked aloud with an ominous smirk before large blood-red, leathery wings sprouted from his back and he leapt into the air and soared off into the night.  
_

Author's Notes: Another chapter down and now things are getting interesting. Some things in this chapter I'm rather satisfied with but others I'm wishing I had done better with but please I'd like to know what you all think. I'm also still having considerable difficulty with editing these chapters in Doc Manager (seriously, if anyone can tell me how to properly do the spacing and horizontal line edit instead of these stupid dashes or it automatically defaulting PLEASE PM me!) but hopefully it's not as distracting to others as it is to me. That being said I hope to get some constructive feedback about what you all think about the story itself, even one comment would go a long way! As for the next chapter, it's going to take a while before it's posted as I'm still working on it (finding time and motivation to write has been difficult) but I suspect maybe two or three weeks as it is going to be a fairly longer chapter. Until next time!


	3. A Burden Too Heavy

Chapter 3: A Burden Too Heavy

The next morning arrived far sooner than Leo would have liked. As his alarm blared, Leo rolled over and let out an unhappy groan with his eyes still closed. After missing the power button a few times he finally managed to shut the infernal device off. He lay in bed trying to force his unwilling mind and body to wake up a bit more before he actually found the strength to slowly open his eyes into his usual squinting manner to glance at the time, which now read 7:08 a.m.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. "How do nine hours pass by so quickly? It feels like I barely got any sleep at all." Using every ounce of willpower he could muster he managed to get his tired body out of bed while rubbing his eyes. As he made his way to the bathroom to get ready he looked into the mirror and observed the noticeable bags under his eyes. Leo let out a sigh and ran the water to wash his face in an attempt to better wake himself up. As he waited for the water to warm up he looked back to his reflection and stared trying to think back to the events of the previous night.

"Let's see, I left the office, walked home, ran into those three jerks and that Pascia woman and managed to get mugged _again_ , then was almost home when I ran into Sonic," he listed off in his head with a frown. "But what happened after that and why the hell can't I remember?" Leo let out a frustrated growl and ruffled his hair in frustration before a blur of movement caught his attention. Turning his head he noticed Sonic was now perched on the back of the toilet just staring at him.

"What's up Sonic?" the Alterworldly monkey however didn't move and just stared at him blankly with his large eyes. Leo raised a brow at the oddly quieter than usual animal. "O-kay then," Leo said he went to wash his face. After taking care of his basic needs in the bathroom and getting dressed, Leo walked back into the apartment's small living space with Sonic following closely on his heels, his large eyes darting over him and watching him intently. Once more Leo raised a brow at Sonic's unusual behavior as he looked down at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that Sonic? You're starting to weird me out a little." Sonic's brows furrowed slightly as he let out a low squeak of concern. Before Leo could question it further a knock came from his apartment door. Confused as to who would be visiting him so early in the morning he approached the door and peered through the peephole only to see his landlord waiting on the other side. Surprised, Leo opened the door immediately.

"Miss Landlady, is there a problem?"

"I suppose you could say that," she replied. "It seems Patricia never came home last night. I'm willing to bet she has gotten herself lost in that literal maze of a back alley again. I hate to ask especially at such an early hour when you're likely getting ready for work but do you think you and your monkey could lend me a hand again? In return I'd be willing to give you another week to pay this month's rent."

"Leave it to us!" Leo enthusiastically accepted clearly eager for the extension. He turned on his heels and grabbed Sonic's harness and tether cable as well as a makeshift map that was tucked away in his desk drawer before turning to the little monkey. "Let's go Sonic." However Sonic did not immediately budge and instead furrowed his brows and gave a series of small, unenthusiastic grunts. "Hm? What's the matter? Come on Sonic, I really need your help here," Leo pleaded as Sonic simply gave him a strangely reluctant stare. Frowning a little, Leo knelt down to the little monkey and made eye contact.

"I'm not sure what's gotten into you and I'm starting to get worried. You're not usually like this." Sonic gave him an unimpressed stare and averted his gaze defiantly. Leo's frown deepened a little before trying a different tactic. "Tell you what, if you help me out I promise I'll buy you some bananas for your trouble," Leo bribed in a singsong voice. Sonic's ears twitched in response as his large eyes darted to Leo's general direction. For a moment Sonic looked conflicted but the thought of his favorite snack was too good to resist and ultimately the Sonic Speed Monkey caved before nodding enthusiastically. Giving a grin of victory, Leo picked up Sonic and hooked him into the harness before following the landlady onto the rooftop. As they approached the ledge overlooking the depths of the labyrinth-like back alley, Leo sat Sonic down and unfolded the makeshift map while keeping a tight grip on his end of the tether cable.

"Alright, let's do this," Leo declared as he opened his eyes, seal-like lenses appearing both in front of his as well as Sonic's eyes as he linked their field of vision together before Sonic jumped off and down onto one of the water pipes below. "We'll start off with the west corner and work our way back. Just keep going straight for now Sonic," Leo directed as he observed through their shared vision as Sonic's vision bobbed slightly indicating a nod that he understood. However as he watched through Sonic's field of vision, a small throb went through the back of his eye sockets resulting in a small wince and grunt from Leo.

"Is everything alright Leonardo?" the landlady spoke as she heard and noticed his expression of discomfort. Even Sonic who noticed the subtle change in their shared vision stopped in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing," Leo assured as he rubbed his eyes. "Keep going Sonic." Another bob in their shared vision was his response after some hesitation. As Leo navigated Sonic through the various twists and turns, Leo's vision began to grow a bit more wobbly than usual. At first Leo attributed it to the rapid pace that Sonic was moving at as well as due to the unsteady piping underfoot. However, it became evident that wasn't the case when Sonic stopped moving abruptly to await further instruction from Leo. Regardless, Leo did not let it deter him. After what seemed like far longer than it should have taken, the two finally found the small cat perched lazily on a ventilation fan. Within a matter of moments both Sonic and the landlady's cat were safely back on the rooftop before they headed back into the building and made their way to the ground floor.

"Thank you so much Leonardo," the landlady said as she cradled her purring cat protectively in her arms.

"Not a problem," Leo replied with a small smile. "And as for the extension…"

"Yes, yes. As promised I'll give you another week to pay your rent," the landlady replied before turning on her heels and heading back into her flat all the while cooing over her cat. As soon as the door closed, Leo let out a relieved sigh before wincing as another mild throb sprang up from behind his eyes. He let out a small grunt and massaged his temples to try and relieve the pressure. Once more Sonic, who was perched on Leo's shoulder, gave a worried series of chattering squeaks.

"I'm okay Sonic," Leo assured with a small grin. "It's just a small headache, not like that's anything unusual." Sonic however did not look convinced as Leo continued. "It's probably because I didn't sleep well last night. More importantly, let's get some breakfast before we head to the office. We can pick up those bananas I promised you too." With that, Leo and Sonic turned and left the apartment complex.  
_

Fifteen minutes later, Leo and Sonic had just purchased their desired food items and had promptly left the dingy little convenience store continuing on their way down the bustling sidewalk. As Sonic impatiently waited to snack on his promised reward that was still in the plastic bag hanging around Leo's wrist, Leo pulled out a greasy breakfast burrito from its wrapper and took a couple bites. However, no sooner had he begun to chew did his cell phone in his pocket begin to ring. Giving a small sound of discontent, he quickly swallowed what he could and wiped his greasy hands against his pants before pulling out his cell phone to look at the caller ID.

"Steven? I wonder what the matter could be," Leo mused before answering the call. "Hello?"

"Glad to hear you're not still sleeping," Steven's casual voice came from the receiver. "Listen, we've got a situation and we really need your eyes to help us out. What's your current location? Are you still at your apartment?"

"Uh no, I actually just left the Eleven O' Seven convenience store on East Hollow Avenue," Leo replied.

"Well that _is_ certainly convenient," Steven joked lightly before his voice turned neutral. "Listen, your ride will be there shortly. However I highly suggest you stand to the side of the closest building within the next ten seconds."

"Huh?" Leo uttered in clear confusion. However before Leo could say anything more, a low rumbling sound that gradually grew louder caught his attention. People around him began to scatter and run while pointing to something behind him as Sonic too began to make panicked chattering noises as he motioned for Leo to look behind him. Swiveling his head around to look behind him he gaped dropping his breakfast in shock as a literal wave of what appeared to be hundreds of the same Alterworldly being rushed towards him practically flooding the street. Every individual had a tall and thin physique, long, gangly limbs, and a massive, flower-like head almost similar to a Rafflesia flower but different in color as well as four wide, frantic eyes could be seen deep within the creature's gaping center. Not looking to get caught up in the chaos, Leo heeded Steven's advise and darted into the mouth of the closest alley and pressed himself up against the building as the garbling crowd of plant-like beings rushed by trampling over anything and everything in their wake, leaping through the air and literally bouncing off the walls of buildings. No sooner had the last of them passed did Leo peek his head out from the side street and the brief squealing of tires was heard as a familiar voice called out to him.

"What the hell are you waiting for Pube-head?" Zapp called out as he braked hard on his Lambretta Scooter as he tossed Leo a helmet. "Get on already!" Complying immediately, Leo grabbed the helmet and quickly put both it and his goggles on as he jumped on the back of Zapp's scooter and they sped off after the rampaging horde. Remembering Steven was still on the other line of his cell phone that was somehow still clutched in his hand, Leo put the device back to his ear.

"So what exactly are we dealing with here Steven?" Leo asked in slight trepidation as Sonic clung tightly to Leo's neck.

"To put it simply, a massive nuisance," Steven deadpanned before elaborating. "A few hours ago, HLPD received an anonymous tip about a weapon-dealing cartel that had recently started manufacturing some nasty Alterworldly tech to sell on the Black Market, and by extension, could potentially get released on the Outside. When the Police Suits raided the place to make the bust, one of the weapon makers, a Malpighian to be precise, released a flurry of spores as a last resort self defense mechanism upon getting caught. The spores then developed into the matter of mess you see before you as they single handedly laid waste to the mobilized Police Suits and began tearing the city apart," Steven explained as Leo observed the spazzing swarm lay waste to the city before them as they overturned cars and rioted blindly as people struggled to get out of the way.

"To make matters worse, the host managed to slip one of the many copies an important data disk containing all of their contacts and trafficking routes so we can't just wipe them all out without losing that valuable data. On top of that, those things don't have the mental capacity for independent thought so they rely on whatever instinct or orders the host has given them. Even with the host detained, he is unwilling to cooperate and order them to back down, which means big trouble for anyone and anything caught in their path. That's where you come in. We need your eyes to find the one carrying that data disk while you both tail the mob. Once you do, inform Zapp and he will retrieve the disk then break off the pursuit. We will track your GPS position so we will know where and when to strike and take them out before any more damage is caused to the city."

"I understand," Leo replied.

"We're counting on you kid," Steven concluded before he ended the call and Leo lowered his phone.

"You catch all that Pubes?" Zapp questioned turning his head slightly back over his shoulder.

"Yeah, just get as close as you can and I'll try and find the one we're looking for," Leo urged as he opened his eyes to observe the throng before them. Without a word Zapp complied as he revved his Lambretta's engine and they slowly started gaining more speed drawing closer to the throng of living spores while avoiding abandoned and ruined cars left in the road. However as Leo activated his eyes with the usual seal-like lenses appearing hovering in front of him once more and began scanning the auras of the first half dozen individuals, Leo's vision once more started to grow a bit unsteady. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head and tried to refocus his eyes once more but it did not change a thing. Once more the headache that had been pestering Leo struck him again and Leo had to pinch the bridge of his nose as a small grunt escaped him.

"What's the matter?" Zapp asked shooting another quick glance to Leo over his shoulder.

"N-Nothing, I'm fine," Leo replied as he reactivated his eyes and resumed scanning the copies before him. However he did not get more than a couple more bodies in before a sharp ache shot through the base of his skull and his vision faltered slightly. Letting out a more audible grunt of mild pain he leaned forward slightly and held his head in his hand for a moment.

"Leo, what's wrong?" Zapp questioned as he took his eyes off the road to glance back to his passenger. However Leo did not respond as he sunk in his seat a little lower trying to fight back the growing ache in his cranium. Suddenly a random image flashed through his mind of himself being pinned down by a darkened figure looming over him. As quickly as it occurred it was over and Leo snapped his head up in shock vaguely registering that Zapp now had his full attention focused on him instead of the road as he looked over his shoulder as he asked if he was all right. As the confused Leo tried to process what just happened he noticed they were approaching a semi that had jack-knifed in the middle of the road due to the overtaking rioting of Alterworldly beings.

"Zapp look out!" Leo exclaimed pointing ahead of them. Whipping his head forward Zapp saw the stalled truck and cursed.

"Oh shit!" Reacting quickly Zapp cranked the handlebars to the right and the Lambretta went airborne for a split second before crashing down onto the sidewalk that was thankfully clear of people. Somehow Zapp managed to stay in control without crashing as they zoomed down the sidewalk and past the stalled truck while avoiding street vendor stalls and cutting apart abandoned property left behind in the chaos with his blood threads before quickly returning to the road once more. Leo who had been clutching onto the back of Zapp's jacket and holding his breath during the heart-stopping moment let out a relieved sigh before Zapp reached back and gave him a hard smack upside the head.

"You jackass! Get your head in the game!"

" _You're_ the one who nearly ran us into the side of a truck because you weren't watching the road!" Leo retorted.

"Yeah well I wouldn't have taken my attention away from driving if you weren't acting all weird back there!" Zapp snapped back. Leo went to retort but before he could open his mouth he noticed the horde had gained more distance ahead of them.

"Gah, we don't have time for this! We're losing them; just try and catch up so we can stop them."

"Tch, don't tell me what to do you scrawny nut-sack!" Zapp retorted but complied nonetheless. Once more Leo activated his eyes and began scanning each one once more as his headache throbbed painfully against his temples however Leo grit his teeth and worked through the discomfort as his vision continued to falter slightly every now and then. Finally after several moments of scanning each one Leo's eyes landed on one individual who was carrying a small pouch that had a faint aura.

"Found him!" Leo declared as he deactivated his eyes. "He's 200 meters in, 27 individuals from the right, 84 individuals down from the top and slightly lagging behind with a bit of a limp. The data disk is in a pouch attached to its right wrist."

"Got it," Zapp replied as he scanned the crowd and sure enough spotted the particular individual. He extended his blood threads out that whipped and maneuvered themselves nimbly through the crowd before reaching the being and snatching the small pouch away as the plant-like being let out a garbled shriek of protest. Zapp safely retracted his threads allowing Leo to take hold of the package before pulling the breaks on the handles of his Lambretta causing them to skid to a halt sideways. The horde let out a screech of anger as they stopped and looked back finally realizing they were being followed by someone who stole their precious cargo.

"I don't like the looks they're giving us," Leo declared in clear apprehension. Zapp looked torn between whether he should fight or cut and run before he noticed something that allowed a smirk to appear on his face.

"They're the ones who should be scared," Zapp replied as a red shine of light appear from one of the rooftops further down the road and just beyond the horde ahead of them. Recognizing the signal of Klaus' inevitable technique Leo and Zapp watched on as the familiar battle cry rang out.

"Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique, Form 111!" Klaus declared as he leapt from the rooftop of the building he was on brandishing his cross-shaped knuckleduster firmly in his left hand and a torrent of blood shot out forming into the shape of a massive cross. "Kreuzvernichterlanze!" With a mighty swing of his arm Klaus drove the large blood cross down onto the unsuspecting mob and drove them into the pavement creating a large crater upturning chunks of concrete and sending them flying from the sheer power.

"That's going to leave a mark," Zapp deadpanned as Leo cringed remembering full well what is was like to be on the receiving end of such an attack. "I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards." As the other Alterworldly sentient spores gawked and panicked over what had just happened, a strong gust of wind and shards of ice soon overtook the remaining individuals and either sliced them up or froze them completely solid or were shot to pieces by a spray of electrified bullets courtesy of Zed, Steven, and K.K. respectively. Within a matter of moments it was over and the members of Libra converged standing around the damaged battlefield littered with scattered bodies and body parts and spatters of green body fluids.

"Um, should we…call an ambulance for them or something?" Leo asked timidly as he looked back to Klaus and the others with a disconcerted expression.

"For what? I'm pretty sure they're all kind of beyond saving at this point," Zapp shrugged off indifferently.

"Technically speaking they _were_ only physical manifestations of spores with little to no cognitive abilities," Zed articulated. "It's not like we murdered anyone." Leo gave him an incredulous look through his goggles as Steven collected the small pouch from him containing the data disk and inspected the thankfully untouched piece of technology.

"All that really matters is that the disk has been safely retrieved," the Esmerelda Blood Freeze user declared holding the disk up in his hand.

"So what's next?" K.K. queried as she holstered her dual pistols. Before anyone could bother to say anything more, police sirens and vehicles were soon heard and seen approaching.

"Let's allow Lieutenant Law to take over from here," Klaus declared as the heavily armored vehicles screeched to a halt before them and several police officers in the massively mechanized suits swarmed around the area. The overly stingy trench coat wearing Lieutenant with his mop-top head of brown hair that fell over half his face also got out of his designated vehicle and shot the Libra members an unimpressed glare for the damage around them. Klaus and Steven calmly strode up to him to relay the events that happened and hand over the retrieved disk as the remaining members watched from afar. Eventually, after some damage control on Klaus and Steven's part, the remaining Libra members took that as their cue and promptly proceeded to leave the premises. As Leo clung to the back of Zapp's scooter, he allowed himself to visibly relax as the unmistakable effects of fatigue from his headache began to set in unaware of the truly worried look Sonic gave his human friend.  
_

Back at the office, Leo, Zapp, Zed, Chain and K.K. had congregated around the common space as Klaus and Steven addressed them all.

"While I know this impromptu operation was a bit unexpected, I wish to thank everyone for their involvement in dealing with the matter," Klaus declared.

"And we wouldn't have been able to even locate the package to recover it if it weren't for your eyes young man," Steven added turning his attention towards Leo. "Well done."

"Huh?" Leo uttered still wearing his goggles but having long since removed his helmet and having been in the middle of pinching the bridge of his nose to ease his persistent headache. "Oh uh, it was nothing," Leo replied with a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head. However Zapp immediately interjected.

"Oh don't even give me that crap!" Zapp snapped catching everyone's attention and startling Sonic into leaping off from Leo's shoulder onto the coffee table beside them to observe. "We nearly lost sight of that mob entirely because _you_ got distracted and spaced out. If it hadn't been for _my_ excellent driving skills you would have been nothing more than a splatter on the side of a semi."

"Wouldn't _you_ have gotten splattered worse since you were the one driving?" Leo deadpanned. With a little snarl Zapp grabbed Leo in a headlock and began grinding his knuckles once more into the side of Leo's head.

"That's not the point you little dipshit!" Zapp growled as Leo let out a legitimate cry of distress and pleaded for him to stop as Zapp's grinding knuckles only further aggravated his aching skull. Sonic's hackles stood on end and his brows furrowed in anger letting out an uncharacteristic growl before launching up at Zapp and scratching him across the face. With a yowl of pain Zapp immediately released Leo and recoiled as his hands went up to his face to nurse the stinging scratches. Realizing what Sonic had done, Leo and the rest of Libra, minus Chain who merely began clapping in smug satisfaction, stared at the little monkey clearly shocked by the unexpected behavior.

"Sonic, what did you just do?" Leo asked flabbergasted all thoughts once focused on his pesky headache temporarily forgotten. Sonic however simply looked unfazed if not slightly still upset.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say one monkey just attacked another. It happens all the time in the wild right?" Chain remarked with a cheeky grin as Leo knelt down and tried to coax the little monkey into relaxing.

"Up yours you evil, flea-bitten She-Bitch!" Zapp snapped as he lowered his hands from the slightly bleeding scratches to give Chain the bird with both fingers.

"As satisfying as that was to see, I have to admit that _is_ rather unusual behavior from him," Zed added. "I didn't think Sonic Speed Monkeys were even capable of such a thing. Usually they always _avoid_ confrontation." Leo straightened up with the now calmed Sonic in his arms when he looked back to the rest of his colleagues.

"Sonic has actually been acting pretty strange ever since this morning and I honestly don't know why. I'm starting to get really worried about him."

"Worried about _him_! What about _me_? You need to keep that damn thing on a leash!" Zapp all but shouted pointing an accusing finger causing Leo's pounding headache to rear its ugly head once more and Leo visibly flinched as he rubbed his forehead. Klaus however noticed the action and took a closer look at Leo's appearance for the first time since they had returned to the office.

"Leonardo, are you feeling all right?" the larger man asked in concern. Caught off guard by the seemingly out of nowhere question, Leo felt immediately self-conscious as he could feel everyone's confused and questioning gazes on him causing him to stiffen slightly.

"Uh yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Leo said immediately with a strained smile. Klaus however didn't buy it as he studied Leo closely making Leo fidget under his scrutinizing gaze. Klaus could tell even through the goggles Leo was still wearing that he was showing signs of fatigue and was slightly paler than normal. Steven took notice of this as well.

"If that's true then would you mind removing your goggles kid," Steven asked. "After all you're indoors now so they aren't necessary right?" Realizing what they were trying to do Leo hesitated but unable to refuse an order from his superiors complied with the request as he pulled them down back around his neck. As the two members had anticipated, they were greeted with the sight of the dark circles under Leo's squinted eyes and Klaus narrowed his gaze ever so slightly. Catching his boss' expression, Leo immediately began to wave him off.

"I'm fine Klaus really," Leo insisted. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night and have a small headache as a result. It's nothing to worry over." Unconvinced by Leo's assurances however, Klaus shifted his gaze from the stubborn boy to the Sonic Speed Monkey in his arms who was sending both him and the unaware Leo worried glances. After a painstakingly long moment of silence, Klaus redirected his gaze back to the young holder of the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods and spoke.

"Leonardo, I don't want you to push yourself if you aren't feeling at your best. Though I will take your word for it and allow you to stay, I will place you on some light duty work strictly for my own peace of mind."

"Ah, no I-I don't want any kind of special treatment. Like I said I'm fine. Seriously," Leo desperately interjected waving his hands frantically.

"It's no trouble young man," Steven replied. "Aside from the unexpected incident this morning, there don't seem to be many reports for the day that require the need for your eyes anyway so why not take the opportunity to take it easy?" Still clearly conflicted with the decision Leo went to open his mouth to protest but Steven stopped him. "Listen kid, both you and your eyes are a vital asset for Libra and we've got to make sure you're in the best shape you can be to be up to the job. Don't force yourself if you aren't otherwise you won't be of help to anybody. But if you insist on working I believe Patrick and Neyka could use the help with weapon's testing." The tone of Steven's voice, while as causal as the man's overall body language, had a bit of an edge that indicated to Leo there was little room for discussion.

"…Yeah, okay," Leo nodded in understanding letting out a small, defeated sigh as he averted his gaze out of embarrassment. Satisfied with the response, Steven and Klaus then proceeded to give everyone else their assignments for the day regarding an armed undercover sting operation as Leo turned with Sonic in tow and headed down to the two technician's lab though not before casting one last look back to the gathered members who were too engrossed in their briefing to even notice him.  
_

After a few hours had passed, Leo was soon bored out of his mind. He slumped back in his seat in a chair close to the wall of the cramped room filled with both assembled and disassembled weaponry gazing up at the ceiling with clipboard and pen gripped loosely in hand. As he waited to record the results of each newly constructed weapon, he wordlessly turned his head to the left to see Sonic off to the side happily munching away on his promised bananas from before. Then looking to his right he observed Patrick and Neyka tinkering away in content silence over some new plasma gun and smirking over some apparently new and potentially deadly additions. Patrick was a muscular man with dark skin and messy, shoulder-length, curly black hair wearing a dark winter coat over a white sweater and sunglasses while Neyka was a young woman with green eyes, light brown hair tied up into a ponytail with an aqua-colored ribbon and wearing a mechanic jumpsuit with a stature a smidge shorter than Leo. Unable to help a quiet but discontent sigh, he let his mind wander.

"I wonder how that undercover mission is going?" He mused inwardly as he set the clipboard and pen down on a table beside him before a frown graced his features. "I must be a pretty big nuisance to them if I can't even help with something as simple as that." Leo's gaze trailed down to his hands where he mindlessly traced the faint scar on the palm of his right hand where he had his hand pierced during the event with his sister and that self-proclaimed Alterworldly doctor over a month back. His frown then deepened as he bit back a frustrated growl.

"Stupid headache," he muttered under his breath quietly so Sonic or the absorbed Patrick and Neyka couldn't hear him. "Why does something like this always happen whenever I use my—" he stopped midsentence as suddenly he recalled the events that transpired while on the back of Zapp's Lambretta. More specifically of the split-second image of himself being pinned down by an unknown individual. An inexplicable feeling of cold dread washed over him as he shivered and sat up a little straighter.

"What the hell was that about anyway?" he mused inwardly. "I don't ever remember something like that happening before. Wait, don't remember?" Leo then thought back to his missing memories but before he could try and put the two together, a sharp twinge from his blasted headache caused him to cease his thoughts and let out a small hiss as he clutched his head and winced. This time, Patrick and Neyka picked up the sound of discomfort and looked back to the clearly distracted Leo.

"You okay there Leo?" the dark-skinned man asked raising a brow. Leo looked up after taking a moment to quell the pounding of his skull.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine," he automatically replied as he took his head out of his hand. "Just a little tired I guess."

"You know you can take a breather in the break room down the hall if you need to right?" Patrick asked Leo as he gave him an unimpressed look through his sunglasses.

"Huh? Is that okay?" Leo questioned in turn.

"Don't see why not," he replied as Neyka just gave him an encouraging, wordless smile. "It'll take some time for us to prepare the next testing sample anyway." Initially unsure Leo opened his mouth to decline but almost as soon as he did he felt the exhaustion from that morning start to creep up on him. Barely suppressing a small yawn, Leo decided to take up the tempting offer.

"In that case, I guess a little break won't kill me," Leo replied as he got up from his seat and stretched his stiff muscles before casting a quick glance over to Sonic who had finished off the last banana and now lounged lazily on his back dozing lightly from his spot on the shelf. He decided to leave the little guy be and follow his example. "Be back in a bit."

"Take your time kid," Patrick responded as he went back to tinkering with the gun before Leo shut the door behind him. Upon opening the door to the break room the first thing that greeted him was the welcoming sight of a decently plush couch against the far wall next to a vending machine. Though the room was similarly cluttered with scattered tech and parts on the table and counters Leo did not care. Unfazed by the mess, Leo headed straight for the couch and plopped himself down sinking comfortably into the cushions. No sooner had he done so did his eyelids start to grow heavy and he tilted his head back and allowed himself to doze off. However his sleep was not a peaceful one as once more Leonardo found himself surrounded by darkness. As he glanced around, his surroundings slowly came into view revealing he was now in a foreboding, dark alley.

"What the? What am I doing in a place like this?" Leo asked aloud before suddenly an overwhelming presence from behind caused Leo to stiffen in fear. Just as Leo spun around he found himself slammed up against a wall and pinned there as once more a darkened figure loomed overhead. However unlike last time, Leo could start to make out a little bit more of the figure such as his wide menacing grin and sharpened teeth that stretched inhumanely wide across his face. Before Leo could register anymore of the figure's face a practically unbearable throb tore through him as his vision receded and Leo found himself bolt upright from the couch with a gasp. Panting from the adrenaline rush and dripping with sweat, his blue eyes snapped open. He groaned in pain at the splitting headache that started feeling like it was developing into a migraine and he doubled over burying his head in his hands as a result trying to stifle the pounding throbs of his cranium. After several minutes of breathing to try and get his headache under control, Leo finally straightened up.

"What the hell was with that dream? It was just like…" Leo trailed off as slowly his recent memories started to unwillingly recede into the depths of his mind. "Wait, what was it like?" Leo sat there lost and confused before he rustled his hair and made a half annoyed and half unsettled sound from the back of his throat. "I don't know what's going on but I don't like it." Leo glanced to the wall clock and noted that it had been roughly half an hour since he had first come into the break room. Sighing Leo got up from the couch feeling no less exhausted as when he entered and decided to just return to work to distract himself from his thoughts. However the second he opened the door to the lab Patrick had all but pulled him into the room with an excited shout catching Leo completely off guard as he yelped at being dragged in so unexpectedly.

"Leo! Excellent timing my man!" Patrick declared slinging an arm over his shoulders and squeezing him against the bigger man's side clearly excited as Neyka also smiled widely from behind him with Sonic perched on her shoulder.

"Uh, dare I ask what this is about?" Leo said a bit uneasy knowing that Patrick doesn't usually get this excited unless it has something to do with a particularly nasty weapon. Patrick's smirk just widened more as he pulled Leo towards a side door in the lab followed by Neyka and Sonic.

"Why tell you when I can show you," Patrick stated as he swung the door open leading to a large bunker-like area where floodlights flipped on revealing a large piece of machinery looking strikingly similar to a combat tank only much smaller in size (around the size of a monster truck though not quite as high off the ground) and no hatch capable of allowing anyone inside to man the vehicle. It also had large durable looking wheels instead of the chained treads and multiple extended guns and tools instead of the one large machine gun positioned at the front.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Patrick asked with pride as he released Leo and went up to the tank's side and gave it a gentle pat. "I call her the Agasaya Mark Two. She's a self-operating mechanized combat drone Neyka and I have been building from scratch for about two months now. Capable of dishing out 1,000 rounds a second of heavy-duty bullets as well as high grade plasma lasers capable of cutting through the thickest of Durlinium plates like a hot knife cutting through butter she's easily one of the best looking pieces of machinery we've ever built." He paused allowing Leo to take in the impressive sight.

"It does look pretty awesome," Leo admitted glancing over the shiny new vehicle before turning to the two proud weaponry experts. "But isn't this something you should show Steven or Klaus? Why show me?" Patrick and Neyka's smiles faltered a bit before Patrick rubbed the back of his neck in slight sheepishness.

"Well, about that, there are actually still a few tweaks we need to take care of first before she's officially battle ready," Patrick explained before his grin returned. "Which is actually where you come in Leo." Leo gave him a questioning look unsure of how to take that statement until Patrick elaborated. "You see one of the features we've been having a bit of trouble with is a camera and video function capable of detecting and recording things normally untraceable to the naked eye and well…"

"You want me to link my eyes with it to give it that functionality," Leo finished now understanding what Patrick was asking of him. Patrick and Neyka nodded eagerly sporting huge smiles however Leo gave them unsure looks knowing full well what the consequences of performing such an action would be. "I uh, I don't know," Leo responded clearly unsure before Patrick clapped his hands together in a begging manner.

"Please Leo! If you help us with this I promise I'll let you keep any weapon in my inventory for you to use whenever you like! Even the cell-splitting plasma gun I whipped up just last week if you really want it," He begged bowing his head as Neyka also mimicked the motion.

"T-That's not necessary Patrick," Leo stressed with a sweatdrop as he waved his hands dismissively as he observed the pouting and pleading looks on their faces, which in Patrick's case looked rather silly. Ultimately he couldn't bring himself to refuse and let out a reluctant sigh. "Alright I'll do it." Immediately the duo's desperate looks changed into happy ones as they grinned and high-fived each other.

"Hell yeah! Wait one second while we get everything set up," Patrick declared as he ran back to the lab. After some sounds came from the room of things crashing and clattering he eventually returned with a laptop and dragging several large connecting cables. Leo and Sonic watched as Patrick popped open a side panel on the drone's chassis and Neyka plugged in several cables before typing away on some sort of program on the laptop before giving them a thumbs up.

"Alright kid, all we need you to do is connect your eyes to Agasaya's optical sensors for as long as it takes for us to run the program. Hopefully by matching your eyes' frequency it will also be able to pick up the same kind of data as well."

"Hopefully?" Leo repeated questioningly. "Wait, you mean you don't even know for sure if this will work?"

"Well, you know, trial and error right?" Patrick said once more rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile. Leo gave them a subtle look of unease before heaving a sigh and turning to the drone. Activating his All-Seeing Eyes once more he successfully connected himself to the drone's optical sensors as Patrick and Neyka began typing away to configure the data received by the combat drone. However, as Leo anticipated, not long after linking his sight with the machine did his headache once more begin pounding against his temples as he grunted and winced. On top of that Leo's vision became static-like as if he was seeing through an old television set as the seal-like lenses began to slightly waver in and out of existence. Patrick and Neyka however must have noticed this as their excited chattering about the shared data soon changed to confusion.

"Uh Leo, the data we're getting is starting to get a little hazy. Do you think you can turn up the juice a little?" Patrick requested.

"I'll…try," Leo replied through his strain as he tried to maintain a clear image as he pushed his eyes a bit further. For a split second the image seemed to clear before a sharp pain ran through not just Leo's head, but also his whole body, as Leo couldn't take the strain anymore. He cried out immediately deactivating his eyes and cutting off the connection as he collapsed to his knees clutching the sides of his head.

"Leo!" Patrick exclaimed in shock as he looked over from the laptop. "What's the matter? You alright man?" Leo however did not respond as immediately Sonic ran to Leo's side and gazed up at him letting out worried squeaks. He cringed feeling lightheaded as his temples throbbed incessantly. What's worse was that the unrelenting headache coupled with Leo's dizzy vision was starting to make Leo nauseous. As he took deep breaths and closed his eyes to try and calm himself down another sharp throb pushed him over the edge and his stomach lurched dangerously.

Covering his mouth instantly, Leo paled and got to his feet before he turned and bolted out of the room ignoring Patrick and Neyka's confused and concerned gazes. He sprinted down the hall and into the bathroom barely making it in time as he lurched over the sink and emptied the contents of his stomach. After he had finished with the unpleasant experience, Leo weakly grasped the sides of the porcelain sink as he groaned and panted trying to catch his breath as sweat glistened off his face. He looked up weakly to his reflection in the mirror catching sight of his own flushed face before turning on the faucet to wash his mouth out from the acrid aftertaste. With his skull still pounding Leo tried to recollect himself as he splashed his face a few times before shutting of the faucet and just stayed motionless for a moment before suddenly more random images, much clearer than before, shot through his mind. Along with the same image of being pinned down by the dark figure with that evil smile, did he also vaguely register something of an unnaturally deep shade of red in his mind's peripheral vision as well as the sensation of something beginning to creep over him. Once more as quickly as it started it was over and Leo let out a strangled gasp.

"W-What the hell was that? Why do I keep seeing these things that I don't remember?" Leo asked aloud as both his voice and his form shook from both fear and overexertion. "Just what the hell is happening to me?" He mumbled before something else came to his mind and he recalled that Pascia woman's words from the day before.

 _"_ _You know there's another saying that dreams have their own meanings. You Humas only consider dreams to be subconscious representations of thoughts, desires or fears but sometimes they can provide insight to things you might not even be aware of. You shouldn't always dismiss them so lightly."_ Straightening up instantly cold dread washed over Leo once more as his flushed appearance turned a shade lighter.

"These dreams or memories, whatever the hell they are, they aren't normal. Same with this damned headache. Whatever is going on, it's seriously bad news." A sudden movement to his left caught his attention and he turned to see Sonic perched on the automatic hand dryer next to the sink with the same concerned expression and knit brows that Leo had been noticing all day. That was when it finally hit him.

" _That's_ what you've been trying to tell me all day, isn't it?" Leo numbly asked the little monkey to which he nodded grimly in response. "I'm sorry Sonic. You were just looking out for me this whole time," Leo apologized as he rubbed the little monkey's head affectionately before hardening his expression. "But now that I know there is something shady at work here we need to let Klaus and the others know!" Once more Sonic nodded resolutely as he jumped up onto Leo's shoulder. Taking a couple steps towards the door, albeit a little unsteadily as he was still somewhat dizzy from overexerting his vision, Leo opened the door and made his way down the hallway to the elevator. However before he made it too far, a familiar voice called out to him from behind.

"There he is. Hey dickhead," Zapp's voice called out to him. Sure enough when Leo turned to look back he saw not only Zapp but also Zed rapidly approach him.

"Zapp? Zed? What are you guys doing here?"

"Looking for you ya bonehead," Zapp replied as he approached and took notice of Leo's flushed and sweaty appearance. "Whoa, you look more like crap than usual."

"We stopped by the lab to find you but Patrick and Neyka already informed us you left in a hurry not looking so well," Zed added while casting a pointed glare to his Big Dipper Style colleague. "Are you all right?"

"Well, actually I—" Leo began but was interrupted by Zapp.

"Forget about that!" Zapp said looking to Zed before redirecting his attention back to Leo. "Listen, the Chief sent us down here to get you. There's been an emergency summons; a Blood Breed has been spotted in the city." For some reason, Leo's heart skipped a beat more so than usual when he heard that. "We need your eyes to help seal the bastard so let's go!" Leo tried to interject but quickly found himself grabbed by the back of his collar and dragged down the hallway as he protested the whole way as Sonic squeaked and chattered disapprovingly. As they entered the garage where Libra's many covert vehicles as well as the other Libra member's own personal vehicles were stored, Klaus, Steven, Gilbert, and K.K. were already assembled awaiting the trio's return.

"Perfect timing you three," Steven stated as the three approached albeit with Leo lagging behind a bit. The ever-vigilant Klaus of course took immediate notice of Leo's worsened state and his eyes immediately softened. "Chain is currently on the move tracking down the Blood Breed as we speak. Once we get its location we'll have to hustle and subdue it so Klaus can seal it." As Steven began giving directions to organize the Libra members accordingly, Leo felt a large hand gently place itself on the shoulder not occupied by Sonic.

"Leonardo," Turning to the owner of the hand Leo glanced upward to Klaus' concerned expression. "Are you doing all right?"

"Klaus," Leo started as he realized this was the best chance he had. "Klaus listen, about my headache from before. I don't think I'm—" Leo began but was silenced when Klaus held up a hand for him to stop speaking.

"You don't need to try and play off anything Leo. I can plainly see you're feeling more under the weather than you were several hours ago. Normally I would _never_ allow a member, no matter who they are, to accompany a mission as dangerous as this when they are clearly in desperate need of rest. However we cannot seal any Blood Breed without you and your All-Seeing Eyes, which puts us in a tight spot. I _truly_ hate to ask this of you but we desperately need your assistance in this matter. I only ask you to endure it a while longer. Once the Blood Breed problem is resolved, I'm giving you strict orders to return home and rest for however long it will take until you've fully recovered." Immediately Leo shook his head in response.

"But that's just it Klaus, I think—" The slight but noticeable clenching of his throat cut Leo off, not enough to restrict his breathing but enough to cause him to stop speaking and start coughing lightly. Klaus' brows furrowed further in worry and Leo caught the expression. "N-No. It's not like what you're thinking!"

"Leonardo," Klaus started a bit more forcefully than before. "While I truly admire your hard work and dedication I won't lie, I'm truly concerned for your health. It's obvious that whatever is ailing you has gotten worse and I don't want you pushing yourself to the point where you break down. There's no shame in asking for a day off to rest if you ever truly need it." Unsure of how to respond to such an earnest statement, Leo's resolve faltered ever so slightly before he tried to speak again.

"But that's not what I'm trying to—" Once more Leo was interrupted this time by Steven.

"Klaus, I just got off the phone with Chain. She managed to track the Blood Breed's whereabouts to the Andromeda Outlet Mall in the Northeast part of the city." Klaus nodded in understanding.

"Everyone move out. We need to strike quickly before any more damage is done," Klaus ordered as K.K. mounted her motorcycle and Zapp and Zed seated themselves on Zapp's Lambretta. As the two motor vehicles sped out of the garage, Gilbert started the engine of a green four-door sedan while Steven and Klaus climbed inside. "Quickly Leonardo!" Unable to refuse, Leo gave a small sigh of defeat but nonetheless complied and climbed into the vehicle.  
_

Within ten minutes the mobilized Libra members pulled up to the trashed mall's exterior building. The sun had recently set so they could easily spot the flashing police lights before they even arrived on the scene. Several Police Suits and Police vehicles as well as robotic spider-like combat drones had cordoned off the area restricting access to the public but Gilbert easily maneuvered between the cordons and stopped. Lieutenant Daniel Law scowled from beside his cruiser as Klaus and Steven emerged from Gilbert's vehicle and approached with Leo not far behind, Sonic still perched on his shoulder.

"Seriously? Twice in one day?" the mop-top man stated with clear annoyance. "You know I can't continue allowing you all to keep doing as you please without the higher-ups riding my ass right?"

"Apologies Lieutenant Law," Klaus replied. "However you will be needing our assistance in this particular matter."

"We can handle it this time!" he insisted agitatedly. "It's not even an Elder Class Blood Breed so we can take care of it!"

"At least that's one thing we don't have to worry about," Steven replied coolly glancing to Klaus before redirecting his attention back to the irate officer. "Though correct me if I'm wrong but Elder Class or no, didn't you fail to deal with the last rampaging Blood Breed without our help?" The dark haired man grit his teeth and let out a growl in aggravation before a large display cart was hurled through the window from the inside of the mall and inhuman growling and snarling noises came from inside followed shortly by gunfire and screams of several dispatched Police Suit officers.

"Lieutenant Law, I implore you to call off your men before any of them are killed or worse, turned into ghouls!" Klaus stressed. "We can handle it from here." The man stared at him with a fierce glare before relenting with a click of his tongue.

"Guess it can't be helped," he muttered before reaching into his car's window and grabbing the radio. "Lieutenant Daniel Law to all units, withdraw and regroup immediately at the designated rendezvous point!"

"C-copy that sir!" A panicked voice amongst the chaos on the other end of the radio responded. Daniel Law then hung up his talkie and looked back to the two men with a firm stare. "You've got ten minutes."

"We'll finish it in five," Steven assured as Klaus donned his black and red leather cross-styled battle glove on his right hand and taking his knuckleduster weapon into his left. As the two men strode confidently through the mall's doors, Leo trailed slowly after them feeling more anxious than usual.

"K.K. and the others should be in position already," Steven informed as Leo quickened his pace to catch up to them as they strolled through the massive albeit trashed food court area. It also had a second story balcony and railing circling the perimeter of the food court and luxurious skylights high above that allowed the moonlight to shine through and clearly illuminate the area, which was good since the mall had since lost power likely during the vampire-beast's rampage. "We just have to make contact with it and then lure it into the trap we planned out, which shouldn't be too hard given how most Lower Class Blood Breeds are more like wild animals than intelligent beings."

"Lower Class or not, it'll take everything we've got to pin it down. Once we do, it should give you more than enough time to get its name Leonardo," Klaus explained casting a glance to Leo.

"Uh, right," Leo replied with a nod albeit a little hesitantly as Sonic gave a similar expression of unease. Before anything else could be said or done, the opposite wall from the other end of the food court just ahead of them caved in with a plume of smoke and debris as a large snarling form emerged from the rubble unharmed. It was a nearly pitch black being with faint red markings that looked like something similar to a canine-like gargoyle that stood on its hind legs with protruding spines along its back and the humanoid physique of a body builder even though the strong muscles' texture looked like it was physically made up of some sort of scaled cartilage rather than stone or tissue. As soon as it's blood red eyes landed on Klaus and Steven it's lips pulled back into a menacing snarl and the two took their respective fighting stances.

"Leonardo, take cover!" Klaus instructed. Leo complied without hesitation as both he and his furry companion ran to hide behind one of the many uprooted steel lunch tables beside a fallen support beam. "I will now apply my Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique!" Klaus declared giving his signature battle cry as the two men faced off against the snarling beast-like Blood Breed. It made the first move by charging at unnatural speed with fangs and claws bared. Reacting quickly Klaus erected a blood cross from the ground to shield against the attack as Steven narrowly dodged to the left before delivering an ice-laden roundhouse kick to the beast's side. While lacking enough power to send it flying, it did cause it to skid back a couple feet and recoil a bit from the biting ice that covered the afflicted side. It also provided Steven with an excellent jumping off point to get some much-needed space to launch a follow up attack as he back-flipped and leapt high into the air.

"Esmerelda Blood Freeze: Lanza del Cero Absoluto!" Steven declared as he launched a mid-air kick that sent a torrent of icicles hurtling towards the Blood Breed which struck it dead on. However the piercing ice did little to deter or even injure the beast as it quickly regenerated from the onslaught. "That regenerative speed is way faster than a typical Lower Class Breed," Steven realized with agitation as the beast roared in fury as the spines on its back extended out like ribbons and began waving and slashing at anything in its path including the still airborne Steven.

Thankfully Klaus was faster as he intercepted the attack and took a defensive stance with both his arms raised as he used his cross-shaped knuckleduster to will into being several miniature crosses that acted like a shield to protect against the flurry of piercing and slashing spines. Recognizing the technique as one of Klaus' more strenuous moves, Steven used his midair momentum to somersault forward multiple times, building up even more momentum, and landed another ice-laden axe heel kick down onto the beast's head, which froze it solid the second it made contact if only for a few seconds so he and Klaus could retreat back.

"Klaus, don't get too reckless." Steven chided lightly as he looked back to his bigger colleague. "We need you to save your strength so you can seal it and we can't do that if you pass out from blood loss."

"I'm well aware," Klaus responded as the frozen form of the Blood Breed began to shake before it the ice shattered and the Blood Breed roared in rage once more. However before it make another move towards the two men, an electrified bullet tore through the air embedding itself into the creature's skull causing it to recoil back as its head exploded from the shock round but once more it began to regenerate itself. Casting a glance up to the railing from the second story banisters above the food court, Klaus saw K.K. and her automatic sniper rifle as she gave them a smirk and thumbs up.

"K.K. is in position," Klaus noted aloud as he wielded his knuckleduster in preparation. "Begin operation!"

"Roger that!" K.K. replied as she raised her rifle's scope up to her good eye and took aim at the snarling beast that had just completed the regeneration of its head. "954 Blood Bullet Art!" She exclaimed as she cocked her gun and allowed the electricity in her blood flow through her gun and into the bullets before pulling the trigger and letting loose multiple bullets at a time. "Strafingvolt 2000!" As the bullets struck their target, the beast's joints, it let loose a loud howl as the electricity in the bullets electrocuted it. However it did not last long as it began to fight through the current of electricity and began to move once more. That was until a pair of voices cried out simultaneously.

"Big Dipper Style Blood Technique Kagutsuchi/Shinatobe!" Zapp and Zed then launched themselves from their former positions in the shadows wielding their blood sword and blood trident respectively.

"Blade Form One, Homuramaru!" Zapp cried.

"Blade Form Five, Piercing Dragon Spear!" Zed exclaimed. Taking each side the two Big Dipper Style users got in position as Zapp hurled his sword at the Blood Breed allowing Homuramaru to embed deep into the beast's side as the hilt of the solidified blood sword to unravel several blood threads. Taking that as his cue Zed then began twirling his trident at astonishing speed generating a large gust of wind that encircled and barraged the monstrosity while effectively cutting off its escape route as Zapp flicked the switch of his blood lighter. The flame then ignited the blood threads, which coupled with the gust created a massive inferno that completely engulfed the Blood Breed in a monstrous fiery tornado.

"Seventh Hell/Heavenly Winged Bellows!" the duo finished their attack names in sequence as the Blood Breed screeched and yowled in pain. Its flesh began to char and smolder from the intense heat however in spite of the high damaging attack, the Blood Breed's persistent regeneration began once more as soon as the fire began to die down. Thankfully a large blood cross courtesy of Klaus saw to it that it would not get back up again so quickly as it rained down and impaled the beast temporarily trapping it underneath its powerful form as it still continued to regenerate albeit much more slowly.

"Now's your chance Leonardo!" Klaus shouted towards the youth's direction as he peered out from his hiding spot. "Quickly, get its name!" For a split second Leo hesitated and gulped but hardened his expression upon realizing the rest of the team needed him. He steeled himself before pulling out the Blood Breed name input app on his phone and activating his All-Seeing Eyes as the seal-like lenses appeared he focused on getting the Lower Class Blood Breed's name. However no sooner had the letters begun to appear before him did once more a sharp pang shoot through his whole body and he swayed dangerously. The pounding in his skull was starting to reach near unbearable levels and pain began to wrack his senses causing Leo to subconsciously deactivate his eyes as he tried to regain his bearings. Sonic made several distressed noises immediately picking up on Leo's discomfort. After taking a few breaths of recollect himself, Leo tried once more to open and activate his eyes but was once more met with the same result that nearly caused Leo to collapse to his knees. He actually began to lose strength in his legs as he panted from the unnatural overexertion of energy. To make matters worse his vision had become blurred and unfocused making the letters nearly indecipherable as the seal-like lenses wavered more dangerously than before.

"What are you waiting for Pubes? It's almost regenerated!" Zapp shouted to Leo oblivious to his noticeable discomfort. No sooner had he said that however did the fully reformed beast break out from under the hold of the blood cross and tore out after the closest person which just so happened to be Steven. Thankfully Klaus, who had been clutching his own phone as he awaited Leo's text with the name, promptly reacted with his own attack.

"Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique, Form 39: Keilbarrikade!" Klaus declared as he slammed his left fist clutching his knuckleduster into the ground and forming several large-chained blood crosses that trapped and restricted the ghastly beast from reaching Steven in time. Steven then followed up with his own attack.

"Esmerelda Blood Freeze! Escudo del Cero Absoluto!" Steven declared as he froze the restricted Blood Breed in the biggest chunk of ice he could muster before he too turned to Leo with urgency in his voice.

"Hurry up kid!" The flushed and panting Leo grit his teeth and growled as once more he gathered all his strength determined to power through the pain and gave his all once more as he felt his eyes begin to grow warm in his sockets from the telltale signs of overheating. Once more he activated his eyes and focused everything he could into clearing up the name's letters but something in him seemed to snap and the sensation of something from within him began to awaken and flare out. The next thing Leo knew, indescribable pain flared up and coursed through him as he felt the formation of something spread over his body. With a loud cry he collapsed to the ground writhing in agony as he dropped his phone in the process, which clattered to the floor and Sonic shrieked in panic.

"LEONARDO!" Klaus exclaimed in fervent concern as the others too heard both the youth and simian's screams and saw Leo go down. In the split second the others took their eyes off the Blood Breed, the chunk of ice containing the beastly gargoyle-like vampire cracked and shattered freeing it from its temporary prison. Turning their attention back to the beast the Libra members could not react in time as it lashed out and slashed at them with its extended clawed hands and batted the nearby Zapp and Zed roughly away drawing blood in the process from the Blood Breed's claws as they rolled and skidded across the floor. Thankfully not injured too badly despite the nasty gashes, Zapp and Zed quickly recovered and got to their feet while nursing their injuries. Immediately Klaus and Steven reacted and went on the offensive launching several attacks at it but instead of fighting back it just dodged them letting out one final snarl before leaping up onto the railing just opposite of K.K. as she began shooting electrified round after round at it to try and stop it but to no avail as it broke through one of the windows from the second story.

"It's getting away! We need to go after it!" Steven exclaimed about to give chase before Klaus verbally stopped him.

"No, that's no longer our priority at the moment!" The remaining Libra members looked to Klaus as if he was crazy but the red-haired man was already hurrying to the fallen Leo's side. The collective incredulousness soon gave way to grim understanding before the rest of the group flocked over as well including K.K. who leapt down from her perch with her sniper slung over her shoulder.

"Leo! Leo can you hear me?" Klaus questioned as he knelt down on one knee beside the contorted and twitching youth and panicking Sonic and placed his hands gently on Leo's side to turn him over. As he did Leo slowly opened his eyes to gaze up at the blurry but anxious faces of his friends before suddenly another random image flashed through Leo's mind. This time a perfectly clear face was visible of a man with black hair and piercing red eyes looking down at him with the inhumanely wide smile and sharpened canines. It was then that his suppressed memories came flooding back to him all at once causing him to let out a short, horrified gasp.

"I…remember. I—" Leo managed to mutter weakly before the same forceful clenching of his throat cut him off and he began to choke and cough as his hands flew up to grab it. "H-Hurts. I c-can't…" Leo let out a few strangled gasps clenching his eyes tightly shut while tremors continued to wrack his body.

"Leo!" Zed couldn't help but declare in alarm feeling a morbid sense of familiarity at the sight as they observed Leo slowly slip into unconsciousness.

"What's the matter with him?" Zapp asked with mild unease.

"I'm not sure," Klaus admitted with evident unease before he placed a large hand to Leo's neck to check his pulse. He was silent for a moment before his red brows furrowed further upon feeling the erratic pulse rate against his fingertips. The other Libra members noticed their leader's expression and soon bore similar expressions realizing it must not be good. Klaus gingerly picked the spasming, smaller male up and cradled him carefully against his chest. His breathing was thankfully starting to even out ever so slightly but it was clear that Leo was still unable to fully catch his breath. "We need to get Leonardo to a hospital for medical treatment immediately!" he expressed firmly as he straightened up. Sonic (who had picked up Leo's dropped phone) also took the opportunity to clamber up onto one of the man's broad shoulders to further observe his human friend.

"But what about the Blood Breed?" K.K. questioned. Klaus was silent for another moment before a look of reluctant acceptance appeared and he let out a slow exhale.

"We have no choice but to deal with it at a later time. Even if we were to locate and confront it again we no longer have the means to seal it away and right now ensuring Leonardo's welfare takes precedence over anything else," the Brain Grid user declared firmly as he quickly turned on his heels and headed for the exit. As the other members wordlessly followed their leader, they were completely unaware of a malevolent presence observing from the top of a high-rise building a good distance away that had a perfect view through the mall's skylights adjacent to the mall.

"Heh, the boy actually held out a bit longer than I anticipated," the King of Pain wryly said aloud as his grey long coat flowed in the wind. "I daresay he might have lasted even longer had I not pushed things along." A sudden heavy thud to his right redirected his attention from the scene below as he nonchalantly gazed over to see the Lower Class gargoyle-like Blood Breed bound over to him panting like an excitable, overgrown puppy.

"Yes, yes, you served your purpose well mutt," the King of Pain began patting it lightly on the head with a stiff hand before a cold smirk graced his lips. "But now, you are no longer needed." Faster than the other Blood Breed could blink, the King of Pain then skewered the canine-like beast clean through its chest with his own clawed hand and grasped its heart. Ribbons of supernatural runes made of a dark red light erupted from the Elder Breed's hand as it encompassed the Lower Class Breed's heart and body as he squeezed the organ until it finally ruptured. An almost soundless wail escaped its maw as a pained look of betrayal was etched across its monstrous features. The King of Pain savored the frozen expression on his supposed kin's face before the pitiful beast slumped forward and died in a pool of its own blackened blood as the swirling runes also faded away. The King of Pain slowly retracted his arm from the Lower Class Breed's chest allowing its corpse to haphazardly and clumsily fall and tumble over the side of the building to the city streets below. The King of Pain then turned his blood-stained arm over revealing what appeared to be a shimmering will-o'-the-wisp no larger than that of a baseball that was clenched in his hand. After a short beat the flickering flame disappeared seemingly having been absorbed by the Elder vampire as a faint outline of his crimson-winged aura visibly though briefly flared up before becoming invisible to the naked eye once more.

Now apparently satisfied with his actions he then turned his attention back to the humans below him where Klaus was seen carrying Leo's unconscious body to the awaiting Gilbert and his car followed promptly by the other Libra members. Lieutenant Law saw them and began to stomp over to apparently give the larger man a piece of his mind for likely letting the Blood Breed escape. However the second he opened his mouth and said a few words, the larger man just gave him a vicious look as an aura of anger and protectiveness practically rolled off him in waves. This caused the Lieutenant to promptly shut his mouth and back off with a look of fear as Klaus wordlessly and carefully loaded into the backseat still cradling Leo's form. Steven promptly got in from the other side and Gilbert got in the driver's seat before quickly pulling out and driving away with Zapp, Zed and K.K. following closely behind on their own vehicles. A large, manic grin was plastered on the Elder Class Blood Breed's face as he watched them go.

"Yes, everything is going exactly as planned," the sadistic vampire affirmed aloud before he stretched out his large red wings hiding from under his coat and took flight disappearing into the night once more.  
_

Author's Notes: And another one bites the dust. Hopefully the longer chapter makes up for the long wait. First off I'd like to give a major shout-out to Wolvey and Neko249 for the favorite/following of this story. I'm glad there are those out there who are interested to see where this story is going. This chapter was a bit more labor intensive but I think it turned out well (fighting scenes in particular I generally suck at and while I think the scuffle with the Blood Breed turned out fairly decently I still feel it was kind of lacking but I am hoping I will improve), though I did take a few liberties in this chapter. In particular the fact that one Blood Breed can supposedly kill another in spite of regenerative abilities (it's never really hinted at as a possibility in canon but I figure between the King of Pain's mysterious abilities that have yet to be explained *wink wink* and the fact that it's an Elder Class versus a Lower Class, it might be like survival of the fittest where the abilities can cancel themselves out based on raw power) but I hope you all can overlook it and keep an open mind. The next chapter is coming along but I want to take time to finish it and get a good portion of the next one done too before I post again. That being said, I look forward to seeing you all in the next chapter, which should hopefully be in the next week or two (maybe longer)!


	4. Is There A Caster in the House?

Chapter 4: Is There A Caster in the House?

Gilbert came to a screeching halt as he parked in front of Bradbury General Hospital. Zapp, Zed and K.K. arrived shortly after as Klaus ran carrying Leo, still gasping and wracked with spasms of pain, protectively against his broad chest with Steven and Sonic following closely behind. As the group burst through the doors, Klaus looked around and called out for assistance.

"Excuse me, we need a doctor!" Shortly after he said that the sound of quick heels on linoleum made his way towards them.

"Mr. Reinherz?" A familiar female voice questioned as she emerged from around the corner. Dr. Estevez, or rather one of her many younger-looking clones, appeared from around the corner and approached them. She had unnaturally bright hazel eyes behind large glasses, short black hair with a large cowlick on top of her head, and clad in an oversized doctor's coat with a stethoscope draped around her neck and credentials hanging off her coat's chest pocket while wearing a skirt and flats. She was about to casually greet them but her eyes drifted down and took immediate notice of the suffering form of Leo in Klaus' arms and immediately switched into doctor mode. "What happened here?"

"We aren't entirely sure but Leonardo requires immediate assistance," Klaus replied as he glanced down to the youth in his arms. Nodding in understanding she turned back to some of her clones that had also come over to see what was transpiring.

"Get a stretcher stat! We have a patient in need!" she barked and wordlessly the other copies complied. A gurney was soon rolled out and Klaus carefully set Leo down onto it. "Let's get him to examination room 12." She instructed to her divided selves as her clones chirped in agreement and they wheeled him off through the double doors leaving the other Libra members behind to do nothing but wait.  
_

The minutes ticked by until roughly two hours had passed since they first arrived. Zapp and Zed had received quick and minor treatment for their accumulated wounds during the scrap with the gargoyle-like Blood Breed some time ago and Chain had also long since joined the group after being filled in by Steven what had happened. Now they were all situated in the hospital's grand waiting room glancing either towards the double doors or the clock impatiently awaiting news of their younger teammate's condition as Sonic let out occasional squeaks of concern. Zapp incessantly tapped his foot in aggravation until he finally couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Christ, how long does it take to figure out what could be wrong with the damn brat?" He growled slumping against a nearby wall.

"Complaining isn't going to make the time go by any faster Zapp," Steven coolly replied as he sat in the chair beside Klaus with one leg crossed over the other as he flipped through one of the waiting room's magazines trying to keep himself occupied.

"I know that!" Zapp snapped. "God I need a smoke," he muttered as he pulled a cigar from his vest pocket and lit it with his lighter. Normally Zed would have chastised Zapp about blatantly disregarding the clear "no smoking indoors" sign posted on the wall right above his own head but instead let it slide as he brought up the more pressing matter.

"What do you think Leo could be suffering from that's put him in that kind of state?" the fish-man queried. The others cast him quick glances as they struggled to come up with an answer.

"Hard to say," Steven replied as he set the magazine down on the table beside him. "Though I think its safe to assume that it isn't some run of the mill cold."

"Why didn't he just tell us about this instead of stubbornly staying quiet?" Chain asked as nonchalantly as she could though her folded arms and general body language showed she was vaguely annoyed. However Klaus, who had been eerily stoic and silent in his seat the whole time ever since Leo had been carted off, gripped his hands together in his lap a little tighter at Chain's words.

"He did," Klaus responded barely loud enough for the others to hear him as he thought back to Leo's initial apprehensiveness prior to the encounter with the Blood Breed at the mall. "At least, he tried to. But I recklessly pushed Leo into a situation that exacerbated his condition. I was only thinking of the task at hand and as a result I completely overlooked Leonardo's welfare. I fear I'm entirely to blame for this." The others were a bit shocked to hear such self-deprecating words from their normally strong and confident leader.

"Klausie you couldn't have known things would turn out like this," K.K. said gently as she gazed at him empathetically. "And Leo wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over it either."

"She's right you know," Steven agreed. "Besides I think we can all agree that even if we _hadn't_ asked it of him, the kid would've most likely volunteered his services anyway regardless of whatever he is suffering from. That's just the kind of person he is after all so it would've likely gotten to this point either way," he pointed out. Klaus contemplated his friend's words and let out a soft sigh through his nose.

"I suppose you're right," the red-haired man conceded. At that moment the double doors from down the hall swung open and the now full-grown version of Dr. Estevez walked through. Immediately the Libra members (including the little Sonic Speed monkey) straightened up from their seats or positions and made their way over with Klaus directly in front. "Miss Estevez how is he? Have you figured out the cause of his condition?" Instead of the smiles and assurances they were hoping for, Dr. Estevez merely gave them a troubled frown.

"About that," she hesitated for a moment before taking a small breath to apparently collect herself. "Perhaps it might just be best if you follow me. I'll explain once we get there." Instantly on edge by the grave tone, the Libra members wordlessly followed in tense disquiet with Sonic promptly following after them.

Dr. Estevez led them down the hospital corridors before she finally stopped at one room and ushered them inside for some privacy. Inside the room lay the semiconscious body of Leo still looking no better than when they had first entered the hospital. His flushed face was damp with beads of sweat and scrunched up in clear discomfort as his breathing came out in short ragged breaths. His body tremors also had yet to subside as he occasionally and involuntarily jerked in his sleep. He was hooked up to a quickly beeping heart monitor and blood pressure machine as well as an IV drip in his left arm and cold compress on his forehead. He had also been changed out of his usual baggy sweatshirt and slacks as his clothes lay folded neatly on the table beside him along with his goggles and shoes and he now sported a loose, plain white tee shirt provided by the hospital. Klaus and the others took immediate notice of all this as Sonic immediately hopped up on his the bedside table to watch over his human friend in clear concern. Before they could further question Leo's condition Dr. Estevez took the opportunity to speak first.

"I ran every test I could think of on him to find out the cause of his affliction. Checked his vitals, did some blood work, tested for both Huma and Alterworldly strains, conducted X-Ray, CT, and MRI Scans, I even employed some basic, low-risk medical practices used on the Other Side but…I'm afraid I can't determine exactly what the problem is." A mild jolt of panic went through the Libra team as they looked to the doctor in disbelief. Before anyone could say a word Zapp beat them all to it.

"HUH?" Zapp exclaimed loudly. "What do you mean you don't know what the freakin' problem is? How can you not know?" He questioned with irritation evident in his voice. The self-dividing doctor's frown deepened slightly before she quickly regained her composure.

"I understand your concern but biologically speaking, there's technically nothing amiss—"

"You call _that_ nothing?" Zapp interrupted incredulously pointing at Leo's suffering form. "What the hell kind of crazy doctor are you?" This time she couldn't help but let her professionalism slip slightly.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't I save _your_ life once before?" She snipped hotly narrowing her hazel eyes dangerously at him as she felt an angry vein form on the back of her head. Steven decided to take the liberty to step in and de-escalate the situation.

"Now, now, everyone just relax a little," Steven urged as calmly as he could though it was clear this was directed more towards Zapp than anyone else. He cast Zapp a pointed look of warning and the white-haired male got the message almost instantly as a cold chill ran down his spine (whether it was because of the look Steven gave him or his actual blood freeze abilities he didn't know for sure). Dr. Estevez gave an aggravated sigh pinching the bridge of her nose to recollect herself before she spoke again.

"Look, I agree there _is_ something wrong with him," she conceded regaining her neutral, professional tone. "Constant pain, increased pulse rate, erratic breathing and frequent muscle spasms aren't something that just crop up suddenly for no reason. What's more is that I've also been giving him a couple minor doses of morphine over the course of the last hour to help ease his discomfort but its barely doing a thing for him. Whatever he is suffering from, it's not biological like a disease or a sickness." She glanced over at the bedridden Leo. "If I had to guess, I believe we're likely dealing with something archaic and supernatural in nature."

"And do you have any ideas as to what _exactly_ he could be suffering from?" Klaus asked his voice tight. Dr. Estevez merely shook her head.

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Fortunately _I_ just might," an unexpected voice came from their left. Everyone's heads turned immediately to the source where a second doorway was present that they did not previously notice before. An Alterworldly being that looked like an open book with a chrome face along the spine connected to a skeletal staff-like body and needle-like clawed appendages stood in the doorway's entrance.

"Director Magra de Grana?" Steven greeted in surprised confusion as the Alterworldly being hopped over to join in the conversation.

"It's very faint but I do recognize certain traces of the affliction surrounding young Leonardo," he informed. "Tell me, can any of you think back to a time before his condition took a considerable turn for the worse? Was he saying or doing anything odd in particular that you noticed?" The team exchanged looks with each other.

"It might not be relevant but Leo did mention something about a headache prior to all of this," Zed informed the Hospital Director. "And his condition got worse as time went on."

"We thought it was just a minor illness until he collapsed and entered this state," Steven informed motioning to the semiconscious Leo. Magra made a sound of contemplation before he turned his attention to Dr. Estevez.

"Have you tried to gather Leonardo's input on the matter Ms. Estevez?" Magra inquired.

"Of course sir, that was the first thing I did," she replied professionally. "However when I tried to get him to convey the problem he was physically unable to do so other than stating his discomfort and even then it was difficult for him to say even that." Something seemed to dawn on her just then. "Come to think of it, he was actually having no difficulty with speaking or breathing for the most part _until_ I tried inquiring about his condition."

"Hold up, didn't the same thing happen back at the mall?" K.K. asked looking to her comrades.

"You're right," Steven confirmed. Magra then made a strange sound of understanding.

"As I thought," he prefaced. "It's quite likely that Leonardo is suffering from a hex, in particular a Silencing Hex."

"A Silencing Hex?" Chain repeated as the rest of Libra's expressions hardened including Sonic who was now focusing his attention on them instead of Leo upon hearing that.

"Correct, as the name implies it is a hex that forcefully silences the victim from speaking out or communicating and punishes them when they don't comply. It's a hex that is unfortunately used quite frequently in the Alterworld as a petty though persistent form of retribution." Immediately the hairs on the back of Klaus' neck stood up as he bristled in anger.

"Director de Grana, are you insinuating that someone _intentionally_ did this to him?" Klaus asked as he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"I'd say that's the most likely possibility," Magra replied. The Libra members closest to Klaus slowly edged away from the larger man as they could feel their leader's slowly building anger start to radiate off him.

"But wait a second, the turd was able to speak just fine before without any kind of trouble. So how can it be a Silencing Hex?" Zapp pointed out.

"More often than not Silencing Hexes can be also be used as a sort of forceful command to keep someone silent not just in a general sense but over a particular issue or subject. That would explain why Leonardo was fine one moment and unable to effectively communicate the next. But with specified conditions also come, more often than not, specified and severe consequences for the victim," Magra explained. Klaus' angry aura started to become more pronounced as even Steven was starting to find it difficult to stand close to the large man.

"Can you cure him Director?" Klaus asked keeping his voice as neutral as possible. Magra was silent for a moment in contemplation of his response. It was also at this moment when Leo started to come around out of his half conscious state. Cracking his eyes slowly open he tried to focus on the voices and blurry figures in the room who did not seem to notice right away that he was awake.

"Technically speaking I could if it was a standard low level hex but Leonardo's case appears to be a bit more complicated than that."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Steven inquired with a furrowed brow. Director de Grana hummed in contemplation thinking of how to properly explain.

"You see, supernatural ailments such as hexes and even curses tend to range from low impact to high impact cases depending on the conditions of the affliction itself as well as the purpose each one is intended for. Generally speaking anyone can cure a low impact hex such as a typical Silencing Hex provided they have the general knowledge and skills to do so. On the other hand, high impact hexes typically require someone with a considerable amount of magical power in order to properly treat them. That being said, this case seems to fall under the category of the latter as it seems specifically tailored and therefore not as simple to deal with than in most typical cases," Magra explained.

"But aren't the hospitals in Hellsalem's Lot equipped to deal with things like this?" Chain queried with a raised brow.

"Most are," Dr. Estevez prefaced grimly before continuing. "At least as far general treatment for mild supernatural ailments. But even then, treatment in most cases is typically cut and dried and only goes as far as minimizing the effects of whatever affliction they possess until they can seek professional help or the affliction passes on its own. Curing them however is another thing entirely, especially for specially tailored hexes or curses. That requires enchantment specialists often with considerable magical power like Director de Grana said and unfortunately those kinds of people are few in number as they circulate between the many hospitals within the city so we can't always have them on hand. And unfortunately most victims end up expiring before they can receive proper treatment if the afflictions are bad enough."

"Not only that," Magra continued jumping back into the conversation. "But even if a Silencing Hex _is_ partially responsible for Leonardo's condition, it doesn't explain his other symptoms."

"His other symptoms?" Zed repeated uneasily as the rest of Libra looked equally on edge.

"Irregular vitals and breathing as well as constant pain to this extreme is not typically associated with a Silencing Hex, specialized or not, so I'm afraid to say that there is likely something else at work here." That ominous statement further added to the tension in the room.

"Is there any way we can find out the cause?" Klaus questioned.

"Unfortunately no. Without a specialist to properly examine his symptoms there isn't much we can do," the Alterworldly doctor replied. "But I can look into getting in touch with someone from the Other Side to assist in this matter though it will likely take some time."

"Oh come on! Can't we just get in touch with one of the local sorcerer clans in the city instead to hook the kid up with whatever he needs and just be done with it? Why do we have to go through all this extra trouble to find a specialist?" Zapp asked unable to keep his building irritation under control.

"Because it's not that simple," Magra informed choosing to disregard Zapp's crass statement. "Hexes and curses are often very tricky things. Until we know for certain what he is being inflicted with and the conditions surrounding it, we can't act recklessly. A misdiagnosis for a hex can be just as bad as a misdiagnosis for a disease. If we just act and perform a particular method of treatment to deal with the hex that doesn't match the hex's particular conditions, especially if we don't know what those conditions are, best-case scenario it would be completely ineffective. Worst-case scenario, it could make his condition worse or possibly even kill him." As Libra processed that grim thought, the more coherent Leo was starting to finally piece together his thoughts.

"They found out about the hex but they don't know about the curse," he mused inwardly before cringing from the strain his entire body was under. That was when Leo noticed something else he was not quite aware of before: a foreign sensation of something burning and pulsing through him matching his own heartbeat. Slowly his gaze drifted down to his left arm that had the IV and his eyes widened ever so slightly in alarm as a light gasp escaped him.

On his arm and running up it were red glowing and throbbing runes that seemed to send wave after wave of pain through him. Slowly moving his head he redirected his gaze to the right and noticed the same thing on his other arm. He then realized with dread that the same sensation had formed and spread over his entire body as the pulsing and burning acted almost like restraints, each limb feeling as if it weighed several pounds heavier than it normally should have. Panic started welling up within him as he tried to sit up and let out a small whimper as a result from the sharp pangs that coursed through him. Being the closest to him, Sonic immediately heard him and turned his attention back towards Leo and began chattering to gain the other's attention. The group's heads quickly snapped to Leo and Sonic's general direction as they noticed Leo who somehow succeeded in willing his uncooperative body into an upright position.

"Leonardo!" Klaus exclaimed as he quickly approached his bedside followed by Dr. Estevez who began to perform her typical duties of checking his vitals.

"K-Klaus," Leo croaked out. "I-I…"

"Easy kid," Steven interrupted. "We know about your hex. Don't worry, we'll take care of it." Instantly Leo shook his head in response.

"N-No, that's not—" the tightening around his throat once more cut Leo off as his hand flew up to his throat while he gasped and struggled to regulate his breathing.

"Don't force yourself to speak Leo," Zed urged. After several moments of forcing his breathing to even out he rethought his strategy. Leo slowly lowered his arm that shook from the strain from his throat down to his bed sheets and threw off the blankets covering him. Thankfully he was also changed into a pair of light blue shorts also provided by the hospital so he could indicate to the red markings that continued to pulse over his body. However Klaus and the other assembled people only stared at Leo blankly and with varying expressions of confusion.

"What are you doing?" Chain asked with a raised brow.

"Is something the matter with your legs?" Dr. Estevez asked as she turned from the machines beside him and gently began probing and inspecting his limbs and grazing over the red patterns completely. That's when it struck Leo.

"They can't see it," Leo mentally realized grimly causing him to let out a small grunt of frustration as he tried to relay the information. "C-Can't…" His breath hitched as he once more felt his throat begin to constrict. "S-s-see." He spat before he collapsed back against the mattress and pillows with a choking and spluttering gasp unable to continue speaking further as the restriction of his throat made him dangerously light-headed. Unable to take the sight anymore, Klaus spoke up as he gently placed a large hand on his shoulder.

"Just rest Leonardo," the Libra leader pleaded. "I assure you we will get you aid as soon as possible to deal with the hex and whatever else is ailing you." Once more Leo shook his head in response.

"You can't fix what you can't see," Leo thought inwardly. Suddenly something seemed to dawn on him. "What you can't see?" Slowly an idea he wasn't entirely thrilled with started to form in his head as Klaus motioned to retract his arm. Before he could however, Leo quickly grasped his shirtsleeve in desperation surprising the larger man. As Leo glanced up to them panting and flushed he grit his teeth and gathered his bearings as much as he could. "I'm so not going to enjoy this," he mused internally before he snapped open his eyes and activated his All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods. Immediately the group recoiled in shock and/or cried out in surprise as Leo hacked each one's vision with the same familiar seal-like lenses were placed over their eyes.

"Gah! What the hell are you doing Pube-head!" Zapp exclaimed.

"So this is the ability of the All-Seeing Eyes," Magra de Grana declared as both he and Dr. Estevez took in their new blue tinted surroundings. "Fascinating!" However, Leo's exclamation of distress brought their attention back to him as he began to squirm in clear discomfort once more. Their shared visions started going static-like again as his eyes began to overheat almost immediately though he fought off the effects and pain to the best of his abilities.

"Leo, what are you—" Klaus stopped midsentence and let out a gasp as he gazed down to Leo's form. The others let out similar sounds of shock as finally they too saw it. As Leo struggled to maintain the connection with them, even through the slowly wavering vision, they could clearly see not only the green runes encircling around Leo's throat but more alarmingly the angry, red pulsing runes that constricted over Leo's entire body nearly head to toe.

"T-This is…" Klaus began before she was broken off by another strangled cry of torment from Leo as he fought to keep his eyes open and the link established as long as possible in order for them to soak in as much information as they could. As he lay gasping and trembling under the strain as his face was contorted in clear suffering, he gazed up to his comrades and tried to speak once more with desperation in his voice.

"H-Help m-me," Leo pleaded with a faint whisper before suddenly a sharp stab of pain caused Leo to finally break off the connection reverting the others' eyesight back to normal. He let out another cry of agony as he arched his back and resumed his writhing uninhibited. The machines he was hooked up to began to blare as the EKG machine started to show noticeable spikes in Leo's heart rate and wisps of smoke began to rise from behind his eyes even though they clenched shut.

"LEO!" Klaus exclaimed in alarm as Sonic began to panic as well.

"Jesus, what the hell is happening to him?" Zapp cried clearly disturbed as they all observed the unsettling sight. Magra turned to Estevez with urgency.

"Quickly Miss Estevez, sedate him before he burns himself out!" Complying immediately, Dr. Estevez withdrew a syringe from her lab coat's pocket and divided herself into six copies so the five could restrain him while the sixth safely inserted the needle into Leo's arm and pushed down on the plunger. Within a matter of moments, Leo's struggles and cries quieted down along with the various medical appliances' rapid beeping and Leo's limp form slowly relaxed onto the mattress. Regardless he still continued to pant from overexertion, face matted with sweat, and twitching slightly from occasional spasms of pain as the lingering wisps of smoke slowly dispersed. Dr. Estevez made herself whole once more though the rest of the group was silent for a grim moment before finally K.K. spoke.

"Just what the hell was that?" She asked gravely.

"You mean the smoke coming from his eyes or those creepy invisible markings all over him?" Zapp deadpanned with a frown.

"It appears we've discovered the cause of Leonardo's ailment and unfortunately it's a more serious matter than I first speculated," Magra began grimly. "Those markings; the green ones around his neck confirms my suspicions of a Silencing Hex but more troubling are the red markings. Those runes correspond to a curse, which is _much_ more dangerous and complicated than a mere hex." The group tensed upon hearing this new piece of information.

"Do you know what matter of curse we're dealing with here Director de Grana?" Steven asked with his brows knit together in seriousness. Unfortunately he let out a sigh in response.

"I'm afraid this is something I have never personally heard of nor dealt with even amongst other case studies regarding curses and hexes from this realm or the Alterworld. Furthermore, considering this curse was something we weren't even aware of before the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods, there is the unfortunate possibility that there likely aren't many, if any, case studies we can refer to either. However, judging by the complex markings of those runes, I can tell at the very least that it is an extremely high-level curse we are dealing with." The Libra members exchanged silent but grave looks with each other.

"So what happens now?" Zed asked before glancing back to their unconscious teammate in clear concern. "If we aren't aware of what this curse even is then how can we get Leo treatment?"

"I will start making calls immediately to some contacts I have on the Other Side," Magra offered. "With any luck they can provide me the names of a couple specialists with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal with high level curses who would be willing to assist with this case." Klaus, who had been silently lost in thought, perked up slightly as something seemed to pop into his head.

"A Specialist," he murmured to himself. Steven overheard him and gave him a questioning glance.

"What are you thinking Klaus?" the Esmerelda Blood Freeze user asked gaining everyone else's attention as Klaus pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and began to scroll through his contact list.

"It might be a long shot, but if it is a curse that is ailing Leonardo, then there is one person I know of who might have at least _some_ information or even an inkling of how to proceed forward considering his personal experiences in the matter." The unfortunate sense of foreboding filled the other members (save for Zed) as they instantly realized whom Klaus was referring to.

"Oh god Chief, please tell me you're not calling—" However before Zapp could finish his statement Klaus hit the call button and put the phone on speaker after it began to ring. After a few rings the person on the other end picked up and answered.

"Abrams speaking," came the instant and professional response.

"Mr. Abrams, it's Klaus."

"Klaus you big lug!" Lucky replied switching from stern to great enthusiasm. "Didn't think you of all people would be calling me up out of the blue like this, not that I'm complaining. In fact your timing was excellent; I was actually just about to call you myself. Listen, I'm currently on my way back to Hellsalem's Lot as we speak."

"Wait you are!" Zapp couldn't help but exclaim clearly apprehensive as the other members had similar looks of clear unease and discontent.

"Is that Zapp? Wait, am I on speaker phone?" Abrams questioned.

"Apologies but yes," Klaus replied. "I'm not sure why you are returning to the city but I have to say that you have impeccable timing as well. We need your expertise regarding a very serious matter at the moment." Instantly Klaus could tell even over the phone that Lucky's demeanor changed from casual to business.

"In hindsight I suppose it must be considering you're contacting me like this," he simply said before cutting to the chase. "So what's the issue?" Klaus hesitated for a moment trying to think of what to say before he finally spoke.

"It appears Leonardo has fallen victim to the effects of a serious curse and is currently hospitalized at the moment."

"A curse? Leonardo has?" Lucky repeated with mild shock apparent in his voice. He was silent for a split second before he asked a follow up question with a trace of suspicion. "What kind of curse?"

"I'm afraid that's the issue," Klaus remarked. "The doctors here are currently unaware of the particular curse afflicting Leonardo and therefore are unsure of how to proceed to properly care for him. The only lead we have to go on are the rune markings that were present on his body and made visible to us through the use of Leo's All-Seeing Eyes. However because of the strain he is under Leonardo is currently…not in the best state." Klaus concluded somberly as he cast a quick glance back to the unconscious but still mildly trembling youth.

"A curse only visible through the All-Seeing Eyes?" Abrams mused aloud in deep thought before he spoke once more sounding a bit wary. "The runes you saw, can you describe them for me?"

"They were intricate, high-level Alterworldly runes that were bright red in color and spread all over the kid's body," Steven explained stepping in. An uncomfortable silence persisted on Lucky's end before he finally spoke.

"…And these runes, are they causing Leonardo any considerable pain at all?" The group perked up immediately.

"Yes they are," Klaus replied trying to keep a neutral expression and tone of voice. "Mr. Abrams, do you know what Leo is suffering from?" Once more Lucky was silent for a painful moment before he spoke but when he did his voice was low in grave seriousness.

"Yes I know exactly what manner of curse Leo has fallen victim to and I'm afraid to say that it is easily one of the worst kinds out there even amongst the Alterworld." Dread seeped into those present in the hospital room as Lucky elaborated. "If I'm not mistaken it sounds like the curse Leo has been inflicted with is called the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur."

" _That_ curse!" Magra exclaimed with a gasp. "Are you absolutely certain that is what we're dealing with?"

"Hm? And who's that?" Lucky queried confused by the unexpected voice.

"Ah forgive me. My name is Magra de Grana, the Hospital Director of the facility young Leonardo is currently being treated at."

"I see," Lucky replied. Zapp, who had been in the middle of putting of an unlit cigar in his mouth to smoke to help relieve his aggravation, ceased mid flick of the lighter switch and redirected his attention.

"Hold the phone, I thought you didn't recognize what the twerp was cursed with yet you sure as hell seemed to recognize the damn name of it," Zapp interrupted with a judgmental gaze towards the Alterworldly being.

"Of course I recognize it by name; I've just never had the opportunity to witness it before. Hardly anyone has," Magra simply responded brushing off the silent accusation before he continued to elaborate. "The Maledictum et Cruciabuntur is an infamous curse known far and wide throughout the Alterworld as a forbidden and potentially elusive curse capable of almost anything making it extremely unpredictable not to mention extremely difficult to detect through methods of medicine and even sorcery."

"Unfortunately that's only half of it," Lucky included with a grim tone. "The Maledictum et Cruciabuntur is essentially a _self-aware_ curse that starts out immaturely needing a directive or command to act upon by the Caster via blood incantation to activate. However as it progresses it evolves and develops its own consciousness where it can act on its own and without any restraint, making it very dangerous. When active, the curse runs rampant in the host's body causing varying degrees of pain that increases exponentially as time goes on. It starts out small at first so most of the time it is brushed off as nothing more than the early stages of common illnesses but progressively gets worse to the point where the whole body begins to shut down due to the overwhelming agony until the victim…well, you can probably assume where I'm going with this." Upon hearing Lucky's words the group paled at the unsaid implication as they instantly thought back to earlier in the day to the subtle indicators such as Leo's headache and disheveled appearance and then recalling Leo's condition upon collapsing in the midst of battle with the Blood Breed. Slowly anxiety, guilt, and anger began to slowly churn in the pits of their stomachs.

"Do you have any idea who could have done this to him?" Steven asked in a dangerously low voice that was almost as cold as the ice he could produce. A grim sigh came from Lucky's end.

"There's only one being I'm aware of that is capable of such a thing and I'm afraid to say the situation is about as bad as it can get. The one responsible just so happens to be one of the 13 Kings, who calls himself the King of Pain. As the name implies he is a sadistic, sociopathic bastard who derives both pleasure and supposedly nourishment from the pain he inflicts on others, if you believe the rumors. And as if that weren't bad enough…he also just so happens to be a particularly nasty Elder Class Blood Breed." Klaus and the other Libra members eyes widened in shock as they let out similar sounds of alarm.

"An Elder Class…Blood Breed," Klaus uttered numbly feeling fear grip his heart.

"Correct," Lucky affirmed. "That's actually _why_ I was on my way back to Hellsalem's Lot in the first place. There have been reports of him on the move within the city and I had hoped to get there before he had done anything but it seems as if I wasn't quick enough," Lucky explained with a trace of regret clear in his voice.

"Is it possible that it was just a coincidence that Leo was targeted?" Zed asked tensely.

"Personally I'd like to think so but realistically…I highly doubt it," Lucky grimly stated. "The King of Pain is a manipulative as well as calculating Blood Breed. I wouldn't half put it past him to scope out his targets before striking. With that in mind, there's only one likely possibility I can think of would have caused him to single out Leonardo of all people and what the curse's directive is likely centered around." A sense of realization struck the group like a lightning bolt and slowly horror flooded over them.

"His All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods," Steven simply stated to which Lucky gave an affirmative grunt.

"Exactly." Klaus had to fight not to crush his own cell phone in his hand as he shook feeling his anger spike significantly. His other hand was clenched so tightly that his fingernails began embedding themselves into his palms hard enough to nearly draw blood. Zapp had mindlessly crushed the unlit cigar he had put back in his mouth between his teeth. He along with Zed had similar expressions of silent angst and hard glares. Steven and Chain looked no better however they tried to be more reserved about their evident unease. K.K. on the other hand couldn't help but grit her teeth and let out a growl of aggravation.

"Goddamn it! This is the absolute worst case scenario here!" K.K. cursed as she ran a hand through her short blonde hair.

"Indeed it is. However there is a bit of good news," Lucky informed redirecting the group's attention back to the phone still gripped tightly in Klaus' large hand. "From the way you've described it, it sounds like Leonardo's curse has yet to reach its self-aware state meaning we still have a chance to lift it before it endangers his life." The rest of Libra perked up slightly upon hearing this.

"So what the hell are we just waiting around for then?" Zapp eagerly questioned. "High level curses like this need somebody with strong magical power to break them right? I just so happen to know someone who is from the Pan-something-or-other sorcerer's clan who might be able to help us out. And she's dealt with curses before."

"And how exactly do you know this person?" Chain asked suspiciously casting him a wary glance knowing full well the less than reputable characters Zapp has been known to associate with. Zapp faltered a bit as he sweated slightly and avoided eye contact.

"Oh you know…from around," Zapp replied off handedly as he barely repressed a shudder as he thought back to the incident with Tracy and her damn cat that nearly made him worse off than any eunuch.

"Again, it's not that simple," Dr. Estevez said with a small frown choosing to disregard the additional commentary. "Like Director de Grana said, high level curses are difficult and tricky things to deal with. If this curse truly is half as bad as it sounds then we likely will need someone with extensive knowledge of it."

"That's correct," Lucky agreed. "Typically high level curses can be undone either by the Caster of the curse themselves, which I highly doubt is an option in this case, or someone who is a more powerful Caster. With that in mind, it would likely be our best bet to appeal to the League of High Order Spiritualists for their assistance. Even if they don't have anyone within the Order capable of lifting the curse themselves, the information they could provide would be crucial to minimizing the effects."

"Not a bad idea, especially considering they still technically owe us for our assistance in the matter of the near second Great Collapse," Steven spoke up.

"While that might be the best course of action at this point I can't help but feel a bit wary," Magra admitted. "A curse is often comparable to a contract between the forces that make up the curse and the Caster. If an outside party, even one of greater power, were to dissolve the curse on their own, it could fall under a breach of contract to an extent and would not guarantee young Leonardo's survival without potentially serious risks to his life. It's another aspect as to why curses are so formidable and deadly to deal with." Klaus mulled over this bit of information in silence for a moment before he spoke.

"That may be so but as Mr. Abrams explained it is more than likely that the Blood Breed will not willingly offer his services to remedy the curse of his own volition," Klaus stated looking thoughtful. "However, that being said, even if we were able to lift Leonardo's curse there is no guarantee that he would likely not try a similar tactic again. Not to mention he could easily curse other innocents within the city with the same heinous act provided he hasn't already." The other Libra members continued to observe their boss as Klaus silently weighed his options. Eventually his demeanor changed from contemplative to authoritative. "We will reach out to The Order for their assistance in taking care of the curse plaguing Leonardo but while we do we need to send out an emergency notification to all members to prepare for Crisis Response. Searching the city and tracking down this 'King of Pain' character's whereabouts as well as stopping him takes precedence over all other operations we may have going on at the moment."

"Well said. In that case I'll get in touch the LHOS to inquire about the best methods of staving off the curse and take the necessary precautions so that I can assist when we meet up." Lucky stated over the speakerphone before he made a sound like he just remembered something. "Speaking of which, where exactly is the location where Leonardo is being treated?"

"We are currently situated at Bradbury General Hospital," Klaus informed.

"Isn't that the name of the well known 'phantom hospital' you told me about that disappeared during the night of the Great Collapse nearly four years ago?" Lucky asked with a touch of surprise.

"As of about five months ago we've managed to resurface back on this side," Dr. Estevez informed.

"You don't say? Well regardless I highly suggest Leonardo get moved to a more secure location," Lucky insisted. "No disrespect to the precautions I'm sure your institute is more than capable of, however I fear they may not be enough to ensure his safety."

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Zapp questioned in a snippy yet tired tone fed up with the foreboding pretenses.

"Placing a high level curse such as the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur is not something that is done lightly, even for someone like the King of Pain. If he went through all this trouble, it's quite possible that he might not be finished with Leonardo and make another move to get to him or possibly even hire someone else to do so."

"He does make a very good point Klaus," Steven agreed looking to his close friend and leader. "Going by that logic if word got out about the kid being down for the count, much less where he is being treated, it would be relatively easy, not just for a Blood Breed, but even a common thug to sneak in and take advantage of the chaos or worse assassinate him while he's incapacitated and vulnerable. Even if we were to somehow Vamp-proof his room or have someone stationed to watch over him, it wouldn't stop them from finding other ways to target the hospital and other patients to get to him if they're desperate enough."

"You're right," Klaus admitted with a dour expression as he once more weighed his options. "If that's the case then we'll make preparations to move Leonardo to an offsite location where he can receive treatment and protection away from prying eyes. There are multiple locations in and around the city that we can make full use of. Once we figure out which location would be best we'll contact you and inform you of which one Mr. Abrams."

"Understood," Lucky replied.

"In that case I'm going as well," Dr. Estevez declared firmly causing Klaus and the other Libra members to glance at her questioningly.

"Miss Estevez?"

"Don't start with me Mr. Reinherz," she warned as she gave a wry smile. "You will need someone who can provide proper medical attention for him. Even if it isn't much I can still try to employ some basic medical practices both Huma and Alterworldly to at the very least help ease his suffering while you await further instruction from the League of High Order Spiritualists. And besides, he is _still_ a patient in my care and it is my duty as his doctor to do whatever I can to treat him!" Realizing the validity of her argument and knowing they would likely need her help regardless Klaus relented and merely nodded in understanding before looking to the Hospital Director.

"Director de Grana?" he started questioningly before the Beyondian cut him off.

"Given the seriousness of this situation, I'll allow Ms. Estevez to accompany you. And don't fret over us. We should be well staffed with Dr. Gunta, myself, and the other doctors and orderlies to tend to the rest of the hospital for a short time. I'll also gladly help provide what medical knowledge I can should you need any extra assistance."

"Please do," Klaus insists giving him a grateful bow of his head.

"My ETA to the city should be around two to three hours from now so that should hopefully give me enough time to get in touch with the Order prior to my arrival," Lucky informed. "I'll see you all then." With that Lucky ended the call leaving Klaus to disconnect the call from his end. He pocketed his phone before turning to the rest of the congregated Libra members.

"And there we have it. I'll inform Gilbert of our change in operations and have him transport Leo and myself discreetly to one of Libra's lesser-known safe houses for treatment. Miss Estevez and Steven will accompany us." The two in question nodded in understanding. "As for the rest of you, begin scouring every inch of the city for leads on the King of Pain's whereabouts. Leave no establishment overlooked or dark alley unsearched. This isn't just for Leonardo's sake but the city's as well!"

"Right!" Zapp, Zed, Chain, and K.K. all responded with resolute expressions before they turned and filed out of Leo's hospital room.

"I'll alert the rest of Libra's members to prepare for the Crisis Response as well as make preparations about contacting Warden Alice to see if Hummer and Deldro can assist us in the matter," Steven declared as he pulled out his own cell phone. "If this Elder Class Blood Breed is as formidable as Lucky says then we're going to need all the man-power we can get." Klaus nodded in acknowledgement as the scar-faced man too filed out of the room to start making calls. Dr. Estevez and Magra de Grana quickly resumed their medical roles of checking over the unconscious but still twitching and panting Leo and began making notes as to what supplies they would likely need for him. Shortly after they left the room, Klaus approached Leo's bedside and observed the smaller male a little longer with brows knit together in concern. Sonic too mirrored the action as he glanced back up to the bigger man from Leo's bedside table and let out a small whine.

"I know Sonic, I'm worried about him as well," Klaus admitted glancing to the little monkey before redirecting his gaze down to the unconscious young man. "Stay strong Leonardo," he muttered somberly. With that Klaus turned and left the room to make the necessary preparations leaving Sonic to watch over the young lad with nothing but the sound of the beeping machines and Leo's slightly labored breathing to fill the uncomfortable silence.  
_

Author's Notes: Apologies for the longer wait on this one. Shortly after I had posted the previous chapter I had actually gotten quite sick so I had been unable to write for almost an entire week while I recovered and it set me back as a result (although ironically it did serve as a good source of inspiration to work with for this chapter). So now the truth of Leo's curse is revealed and Libra is finally made aware of the situation. What are they going to do once Lucky enters the scene? Well, I know but I'm not telling so you all will just have to find out in the next chapter (though I'm not sure when that may be as work for this month is going to be taking up most of my attention and free time so please be patient with me). In the meantime I'd like to give a big shout out to mila the lost angel and HDDNeptuneFTW for Favoriting/Following this story. Glad you all are enjoying it and I hope to see you all next chapter. Until next time!


	5. Meetings and Discussions

Chapter 5: Meetings and Discussions

It had taken only an hour to select a suitable location near the abandoned outskirts of the city's main harbor and safely move Leonardo by means of one of Libra's various inconspicuous vehicles. Now situated in the surprisingly cozy hidden subterranean basement of an old oil refinery storage warehouse unit that was refashioned for covert use by Libra as a safe house, Klaus and Steven eagerly awaited word of Lucky Abrams' arrival. However as another hour and a half passed, Klaus found himself becoming antsy from his seat on one of the couches. Occasionally he would keep sneaking quick glances to both the doorway leading from the heavily disguised stairwell up to the ruined warehouse's interior and back to the hallway towards the back of the common space just past the adequate kitchen space leading to the door where Leo was currently resting. Steven noticed this and tried to put the bigger man at ease with an offered bottle of water from the mini fridge in the kitchen.

"I know you're worried about him Klaus but Dr. Estevez is caring for the kid as best she can," he assured as Klaus wordlessly accepted the offered beverage.

"I don't doubt that," Klaus informed as he fiddled with the cap and took a small sip. "I suppose I'm merely anxious regarding the manner of Leonardo's affliction, as well as finding word on the one responsible for it," Klaus said with a glower before he subconsciously crushed the bottle in his massive hand and water splashed out forming a puddle on the ground beneath him.

"You don't say," Steven sarcastically quipped as he handed Klaus a towel to dry himself and the spill, which Klaus sheepishly accepted. Just as he finished drying off the door to Leo's room opened and Dr. Estevez walked out pocketing her latex gloves.

"How is he doing Miss Estevez?" Klaus questioned as he got up from his seat and deposited the towel on a nearby table.

"Well he hasn't gotten any worse but he hasn't gotten any better either," the self-dividing doctor replied as she accepted another bottle of water offered by Steven and took a swig. "Though he's still unconscious, at this point I'd say he's stabilized for the time being. Your butler and Sonic Speed Monkey are currently watching over him but I told them to inform me as soon as his condition changes."

"So now all that's left is just waiting for Mr. Abrams to arrive hopefully with some assistance from the League of High Order Spiritualists," Klaus declared. Just as he said this, a succession of repeated beeping came from the speakers mounted in the ceiling overhead.

"What's that?" Dr. Estevez questioned.

"Stage 1 Perimeter Alarm. Someone's entered the premises." Steven informed immediately putting up his guard as he went to the wall beside the kitchen where a television monitor flipped out and started projecting multiple live feed images from all angles showing the outside. However Steven instantly relaxed as he spotted the familiar figure approaching the abandoned warehouse's front doors.

"Speak of the devil," he remarked before deactivating the alarms and allowing the man access. "Shall we go greet him?" With an eager nod, Klaus headed straight for the staircase leading upstairs to the ground floor followed by Steven and Dr. Estevez. Upon reaching the ground floor and disengaging the hidden room's heavy duty door with high tech lock and illusionary camouflage made up to look and feel like an abandoned piece of heavy duty machinery, they entered into the massive storage warehouse's abandoned ruins and headed for the heavy steel doors leading to the compound's exterior. As the sliding steel doors groaned open in protest, Lucky Abrams stood before them. He was a tall, older man with short black hair, mustache and sparse beard, and dressed in a suit & tie under a brown overcoat carrying his usual chrome suitcase. He promptly entered and greeted them.

"Klaus, Steven, good to see you both again. Though I wish it were under better circumstances," Lucky said with a small frown towards the end. "How's Leonardo's condition?"

"He's more or less stable for the time being," Klaus informed. "We have Miss Estevez to thank for that," he included casting a quick glance towards Dr. Estevez's direction causing Lucky to turn his head towards her direction.

"You must be one of the doctors who was caring for him at Bradbury," Lucky said after realizing she was there.

"That's correct. Dr. Luciana Estevez," she greeted outstretching her hand, which Lucky gladly returned with a firm handshake.

"Blitz T. Abrams. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Estevez."

"Likewise. It's nice to finally put a face to the voice that brought so much insight into the affliction surrounding Leonardo that even my superior wasn't entirely aware of," she replied with a polite smile as they disengaged the handshake. "Speaking of which, how was it that you had so much prior insight to the particularities concerning the curse on him? Mr. Reinherz briefly mentioned before you were a specialist familiar with curses but didn't elaborate further. Not only that but you seem to be on good terms with the League of High Order Spiritualists considering you spoke of getting in touch with them for their input. Are you by chance a PSI user?"

"No, no. Nothing like that," Lucky replied with a small chuckle. "I'm actually a specialist on Blood Breeds more than anything but am familiar with any unusual circumstances concerning them so I often lend my expertise to Libra as well as other factions like the LHOS whenever I am needed," he informed before his expression turned a bit somber. "As for knowing the particularities of the curse on Leonardo, I'm afraid it's because I've seen examples as well as the end result of some of the King of Pain's former victims prior to all this." Klaus and Steven tensed upon hearing this.

"What do you mean former victims?" Steven queried with narrowed eyes.

"I'll explain further when the others have returned from their search," Lucky notified. "Better to explain it all at once that way. And more importantly," Lucky said as he motioned towards his briefcase. "We should treat the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur as soon as possible. Even though Leonardo appears stable for now there's no telling how long it will last."

"I second that notion," Klaus agreed with a nod and with that the group turned and made their way back through the ruined compound and back down into the hidden secret staircase, which closed and locked behind them as it re-engaged its illusionary disguise once more. However as they entered the posh common space once again they noticed two new figures rooting through the storage pantry, or rather, one person and his sentient plasma counterpart.

"Damn it! What's with all the canned food? Canned beans, canned cream corn, canned dehydrated _rutabaga_? What the hell even is a rutabaga? Would it kill them to spring for a couple bags of chips or some pork rinds? Ya know, the good stuff."

"You _do_ know that stuff clogs your arteries right Deldro? Which is bad news for me considering you're _literally_ my blood and if you clot up then I die too."

"Oh come on Hummer. One bag of chips won't kill you. And I don't mean the crappy, healthy substitute shit either," Deldro replied as a bloody tendril that slithered out from Hummer's slit wrist and tossed the currently grasped can unceremoniously back onto the shelf with a clatter before he continued to root through the pantry like a starved raccoon. Steven loudly cleared his throat to get the duo's attention and they turned their heads towards the noise in response.

"Oh, hey guys!" Dog Hummer greeted with an earnest smile. Hummer was a slim, dark skinned man in his late 30s with pale blonde hair and a handsome face. His attire consisted of a long sleeved white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows with blue skinny jeans and sneakers. "Deldro and I were just looking for some munchies," he elaborated motioning towards his literally bloody companion's form, Deldro Brody, whose liquefied blood head with black markings was extended from his opened wrist.

"Shouldn't you be keeping watch for possible intruders?" Steven reminded with an unimpressed expression.

"Isn't that what the perimeter alarm is for? Besides, you guys were on the surface so we figured it would be covered while we grabbed a snack," Deldro said offhandedly as he willed another tendril to grab another can from the pantry and hold it up for them to see. "Speaking of which, _why_ is there nothing but canned food in this dump?"

"This is a safe house to reside in during times of crisis. Therefore we need to keep a stocked supply of non-perishable foods for the sake of convenience. It would be impractical to have junk food supplied that would spoil in half the time it would take for the typical rations to expire," Klaus merely replied resulting in a small growl of discontent from Deldro.

"I see you two haven't changed much," Lucky deadpanned as he observed the interaction. Deldro and Hummer then seemed to realize who else was in the room.

"Lucky? You're here too? Damn, and I thought this was going to be a nice little stint away from prison," Deldro quipped unabashed as he once more tossed the can back into the pantry.

"Be nice Deldro," Hummer chastised before redirecting his attention back to the gathered group. "It's good to see you again Mr. Abrams," he said with his usual charming smile.

"I suppose it has been a while," Lucky mulled aloud returning the smile with a small smirk of his own. However the slightly pleasant atmosphere soon faded as Hummer's mirth fell and he asked a simple question.

"So, you must be here because of Leo too right?" Recalling the task at hand the group's expression shifted from mild indifference to the reason they had returned back from the compound upstairs.

"Yes but not to worry. If all goes as the Elder says then we may have found a temporary solution," Lucky assured holding up his briefcase to show as proof. Intrigued by Lucky's words, Hummer and Deldro abandoned their search through the pantry and followed as the group lead by Dr. Estevez into Leo's room down the hall. As they opened the door to the small bedroom living space, they observed Gilbert patiently sitting close to Leo's bedside with one leg crossed over the other observing the youth closely with a practiced neutral expression. Sonic was also positioned next to Leo's bedside observing silently as well. Upon hearing the door open, Gilbert and Sonic both turned their heads to their direction. Gilbert uncrossed his legs and got to his feet before giving a polite bow in greeting.

"Welcome back Young Sir and company."

"Any changes Mr. Gilbert?" Dr. Estevez asked.

"None whatsoever madam," he professionally replied as they looked over to Leo's resting form tucked into bed. He was still a bit flushed and his breathing had become slightly raspier than it had been but was otherwise unchanged aside from mild jerks of movement in his sleep.

"I have to admit, I was actually preparing myself for worse considering how you all made it sound. You certainly do good work doctor," he said casting a quick glance to Dr. Estevez.

"I can hardly take all the credit," Dr. Estevez responded before a small frown graced her features. "I hate to admit it but even with all of the high-speed, medical practices I'm capable of, hexes and curses are a bit out of my comfort zone. The best I could do to help ease his suffering was give him a mild sedative and some slightly enhanced Alterworldly painkillers and even then they've been wearing off at such a speed that it's starting to become ineffective." As if to confirm this, Leo jerked a bit more violently and let out a low drawn out groan as his head turned and fell to one side. Furrowing their brows slightly in concern, the group watched as Lucky propped his suitcase up on Leo's bedside table causing Sonic to jump down and perch himself on one of the bedposts of Leo's bed as he curiously observed what the man was up to.

"Well hopefully that will no longer be an issue," Lucky said as he opened his suitcase and pulled out an item from inside. Klaus and the others brows raised slightly in confusion as they got a good glimpse of what Lucky had.

"Are those…bandages?" Steven queried.

"Uh no offense Lucky, but I don't think some lousy strips of cloth are going to help him. The kid's suffering from a curse not a scraped knee," Deldro quipped.

"They're _specially made_ bandages you little devil," Lucky snipped casting a light glare over to the former man turned sentient blood's direction. "They're blessed and infused with positive energy from one of the Order's own high-ranking warlocks," Lucky explained as he unwrapped one end of the bandages to show that the wrappings had a slight bluish glow with inked runes scrawled carefully over each side in intricate detail. "I had to pull some strings to get as many as I did but they should suffice."

"Suffice for what exactly?" Dr. Estevez asked as she observed Lucky continue to unwrap the roll of bandages.

"If the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur was given the directive to activate upon Leonardo's All-Seeing Eyes being used like we suspect then we simply take his eyes out of the equation, temporarily speaking that is," Lucky explained adding the last part as clarification upon catching the wary looks on Klaus and Steven's faces. "These wraps were prepared to specifically suppress Leo's All-Seeing Eyes' power."

"I see. In other words with no source for the curse's directive to act upon then there is no foundation for it to activate," Klaus voiced.

"Precisely," Lucky confirmed with a smirk. "However like typical bandages they will need to be changed frequently; at least once every six hours."

"Why's that?" Hummer asked with a tilt of his head that was mirrored in sync by Deldro.

"Because between the strength of the curse and the power of Leo's All-Seeing Eyes, the charmed bandages will eventually lose their power and become ineffective to keeping the curse at bay as it absorbs the negative residual energy," Lucky explained as he approached Leo's bedside. "Klaus, could you prop him up and hold his head still while I apply the bandages?"

"Of course," Klaus replied before he approached Leo from the other side of his bed. As he gingerly tucked his left arm underneath Leo's back Klaus could feel the mild tremors still rattling Leo's small body as his chest expanded and contracted more rapidly than usual causing Klaus to give the unconscious young man a look of pity.

"He'll be okay Klaus," Lucky assured. "Now ease him up slowly." Complying without a word he gently eased Leo's unconscious body upright while supporting his lolling head with his other hand carefully holding his chin. Working swiftly Lucky began to wrap the bandages carefully and tightly around Leo's head completely covering the young male's entire upper face from beyond the bridge of his nose to just before the hairline on his forehead. As Lucky securely tied off the bandages, the wrappings gained an immediate sheen of light and almost immediately Leo's tremors ceased and his labored breathing slowly evened out into a small sigh of alleviation. Klaus too felt relief as he felt the tension leave Leo's body and he carefully laid him back down in the bed.

"And that should do it," Lucky declared with satisfaction as Klaus readjusted Leo's sheets and comforter to re-cover the lad's frame. "With any luck he should regain consciousness within the next hour or so."

"Thank goodness," Hummer voiced with a reassured smile as the other assembled members had similar expressions to varying degrees.

"We should allow Leonardo to get some rest in peace. In the meantime let us head back to the main room to await word from the rest of the team," Klaus suggested. "Hopefully they've turned up some leads on the King of Pain and his whereabouts." Klaus then directed his attention over to Hummer and Deldro. "However I would like you two to watch over Leonardo just as a precaution."

"Oh come on, can't we have a less boring job?" Deldro questioned in minor frustration. "First keeping watch and now babysitting?"

"Well you could always clean up the mess you made in the kitchen," Steven suggested with a bit of an edge as he felt his irritation rise ever so slightly as a small, angry vein throbbed on his forehead.

"It's cool, we'll watch over him," Hummer insisted with a nonchalant smile completely oblivious to Steven's vexation.

"Seriously?" Deldro deadpanned looking to his human host. Satisfied with the response the group turned to exit the room leaving the charming man and his sulking blood behind as they closed the door. Upon making their way back into the common room, Steven seated himself in the closest loveseat and let out a sigh as Klaus took a seat on the other loveseat across from him.

"Well, I have to say that turned out quite better than expected," he said aloud before glancing over to Lucky who stood over by the kitchen's small dining table in the corner by the kitchen. "Normally your disposition to unfortunate happenings would have complicated things by now."

"Huh? Now that you mention it I did have an easier time than usual getting into the city," Abrams mulled over as he set his suitcase containing the other rolls of bandages down on the table before turning back to them.

"Well hopefully this is a good sign for us," Steven commented. Dr. Estevez who took a seat in an armchair raised a brow at the small exchange.

"Your disposition?" she repeated in a questioning tone glancing over to Lucky who simply rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well you see the fact of the matter is that Mr. Abrams is more or less the recipient of a number of different curses as well," Klaus said taking the liberty to explain.

"Seriously?" Dr. Estevez exclaimed taken aback.

"That's right. Becoming a well-known specialist on Blood Breeds has given me a number of vengeful enemies and as a result I sort of became an open target for such things. As such I've educated myself in the ways of curses, black magic and the like. Though it's never been quite as serious as Leonardo's curse, it's given me more than my fair share of headaches from time to time. But for whatever reason I always managed to come out unscathed so I've more or less made peace with it."

"I see, so that's what you meant before when you said Mr. Abrams would likely have some information based on his own personal experiences," she mused aloud glancing over to Klaus recalling his words back at the hospital. She then redirected her gaze back to Lucky with a mixture of curiosity. "So how exactly did your curses work if I may ask? And how were you able to remove them?" The seemingly harmless question was met with the wary exchanging of looks from both Klaus and Steven while Lucky merely blinked in confusion.

"Remove?" Before anyone could say or do anything else, the sounds of sparking and sizzling came from the kitchen causing the group to turn their heads. Gilbert was seen calmly stepping back from the coffee maker he had apparently just turned on to prepare coffee for everyone as it sparked and short circuited. In addition the short circuit managed to cause a minor power surge that ran through the whole room and the lights flickered. This somehow caused the ceiling fan located just above Lucky's head near the dining area to spark and start rotating at incredible speed before coming loose and falling heading straight down on him. However, owing to his usual incredible luck, the attached electrical cable keeping the fan anchored to the ceiling went taut just within a few inches of his head before the rapidly spinning fan's momentum cause it to swing away in a wide arc towards the doorway entrance to the secret staircase. It was by complete coincidence that at this time Zapp and Zed happened to walk in.

"Hey Chief we just stopped by to—" Zapp began in a bored tone before he and Zed's eyes went wide at the incoming appliance just as the cable snapped and crashed into them with surprising and unnaturally great force. That in addition to the electric cable, which was somehow still carrying a bit of electricity, was enough to cause them to collapse in a crumpled heap. Klaus and Steven could only stare with indifferent expressions far too used to such things while Dr. Estevez looked completely flabbergasted by the random chain of events.

"Well I suppose that sums things up," Steven deadpanned as immediately Dr. Estevez went into first responder mode and began checking the two Big Dipper Style users over. Lucky however seemed completely unaware of the strange fluke as he turned to Klaus.

"This safe house has got some pretty faulty wiring Klaus. You should really get this place renovated when this is all over." The bigger man could only grunt and nod in response.  
_

Lucky's prediction seemed to hold true, as over the course of the next hour Leo's condition gradually improved until slowly he started to come around. Sonic was the first to notice the small twitch of fingers causing Dr. Estevez, who had taken over for Deldro and Hummer about half an hour earlier, to take notice as well. She had been sitting by his bedside reading one of the medical journals provided by Magra de Grana just as Leo let out a slow exhale and stirred awake. Leo slowly blinked his eyes open only to feel his formerly groggy state slowly dissolve into fear as he soon realized he couldn't see a thing. He let out a sharp intake of breath and bolted upright bringing his hands up to his face with his fingers just barely brushing the bandages when Dr. Estevez stopped him.

"Easy there Leonardo. You're alright," she reassured as she placed her hands firmly on his shoulders causing him to flinch at the unexpected contact and voice.

"…Dr. Estevez?" He queried a bit hoarse before he slowly recalled the events prior. "Oh, right. I'm at the hospital."

"You _were_ but we sort of had to move you. Hang on a second," Dr. Estevez replied retracting her hands before she stood up and went to the door and opened it up to peek out to the common room where Klaus, Steven, Lucky, Gilbert, Hummer and Deldro along with Zapp and Zed and the recently returned Chain and K.K. were all assembled as instantly their heads turned towards the door. "He's awake," Leo heard Dr. Estevez say as almost immediately the sounds of multiple footsteps were heard quickly approaching his room.

"Leonardo," Klaus' voice came from the doorway causing Leo to turn his head towards the direction of the voice.

"Klaus?" Leo replied in a questioning voice.

"How are you feeling?" The Libra leader asked as he and the others filed into the small room and Sonic hopped into Leo's lap.

"…I feel okay I guess," Leo replied lingering confusion present in his voice as he rubbed the little monkey's head absentmindedly.

"That's so good to hear," Hummer said with a relieved smile as Klaus and the others felt some of the tension slip away themselves.

"Guess those bandages did the trick like you said Lucky," Deldro commented casting a quick glance to the man.

"Was there any doubt?" Lucky replied with a grin. Leo's brows however went up in surprise.

"Those voices. Is that Hummer and Deldro and…Mr. Abrams?"

"We're here too ya know Pubes!" Zapp couldn't help but retort cutting into the conversation. Leo blinked underneath his bandages in bewilderment.

"Okay, I'm really confused. What are you guys all doing here? Come to think of it, where exactly is 'here'? How long was I out? And why can't I see?" Leo asked as once more he tried to bring his hands up to the dressings wrapped around his head. However Lucky stopped him as he gently grabbed Leo's wrist.

"I wouldn't mess with those Leonardo. Those wrappings are the only things preventing the King of Pain's curse from activating." Immediately Leo flinched as his body went visibly rigid at the mention of the name as he looked towards the direction he assumed Lucky was.

"How do you know about that?" Leo asked in a tight voice as slowly panic started to fill him. The others picked up on his distress right away.

"Relax kid," Steven said coolly. "You're safe in one of Libra's safe houses and we'll explain everything shortly."

"That's right," Klaus affirmed. "Though I believe it might be best to have this conversation in a room that is a bit less crowded than this one. Let us move into the common room. Will you need any assistance getting there Leonardo?"

"Huh? Uh no. I'll be fine," Leo replied as Sonic hopped out of his lap and onto the mattress as he slipped out from under the covers and mechanically moved to the edge of the bed. However as he stood his strength faltered slightly and Zed who was nearby reached out to help steady him.

"Easy Leo."

"Thanks Zed. I'm okay," Leo replied with a small smile before he seemed to notice something and he seemed to become embarrassed as a slight blush made his way to his face. "Um, is it just me or is it a little breezy in here?" he mumbled.

"I had you changed out of your usual clothes and into a tee shirt and shorts provided by the hospital when you were initially brought in for treatment," Dr. Estevez clarified.

"Oh, right," Leo responded bashfully before Gilbert spoke up.

"I took the liberty of washing and preparing your outfit for when you awoke Master Leonardo," the Combat Butler replied holding them tucked neatly in his arms. "Here you are."

"Thanks a lot Gilbert," Leo replied gratefully as he held out his arms to receive the offered clothing items. "Um, is there a bathroom nearby?"

"There's one across the hall," Steven informed. "Seeing as you can't see at the moment Zapp can help guide you there."

"Why me?" Zapp asked brusquely.

"Just do it you damn monkey," Chain retorted. Zapp opened his mouth to snap back but thought better of it especially after catching the mild yet noticeably stern expressions on both Klaus and Steven's faces.

"Tch, fine," he relented for once deciding to not get into another argument with the Invisible Werewolf. Zapp approached Leo and guided him by the shoulder out of the room and over to the bathroom with the others filing back out behind them.

"We'll start the discussion once you two rejoin us," Klaus informed as the rest of the group made their way back to the common room.

"Right," Leo said with a nod of understanding. As Klaus walked away to await the two's return, Zapp leaned against the wall and stuffed his hands in his pockets as Leo felt the doorway to find the doorknob.

"Just so you know if you need help changing into your clothes, you're on your own," Zapp declared offhandedly.

"I will not!" Leo snapped affronted as his blush returned. Zapp smirked at getting the desired reaction from him as he watched Leo grumble a few unflattering curses under his breath before entering the bathroom and promptly closing the door behind him with Sonic sneaking in at the last moment to keep a watchful eye on him. Once Leo had changed back into his usual clothes (after naturally taking a bit longer than usual with his temporary lack of sight) and exited the bathroom with Sonic once more perched in his usual spot on Leo's shoulder, Zapp once more lead him back into the common room where the other Libra members were situated.

Klaus and Steven had taken a seat on the couch at the forefront of the room closest to the secret entrance with Dr. Estevez seated in between them. Lucky was positioned in an armchair closest to the rear of the room while Zed and K.K. sat on one of the two loveseats on the right side of the couch with Chain sat crouched literally on the armrest closest to the older female. Hummer and Deldro had taken one of the chairs from the dining room table and pulled it up to sit next to Lucky's left side and were now sitting backwards on it with arms folded over the back of the chair. Gilbert had apparently taken to brewing more coffee in the kitchen (opting for the standard kettle and instant coffee mix since the coffee maker was out of commission from the short circuit) in preparation of the eventual meeting. After being lead to the center of the room, Leo took his spot on the loveseat to the left of the couch Klaus, Steven and Dr. Estevez were on with Sonic who moved to sit on the armrest and Zapp who plopped down unceremoniously in the seat beside Leo.

"Now that we're all assembled, we can finally get on the same page regarding the matter at hand," Klaus prefaced. "With that said I think the best place to start would be the beginning and since you seem to have some prior information Mr. Abrams, it would be best to begin with what you know."

"Fair enough," Lucky conceded. "I suppose most of this mess started a little over two months ago. I received a request for assistance from a small group of Fang Hunters on behalf of Fang Hunter HQ. According to them they were having trouble with tracking down and dealing with a formidable but elusive Elder Class Blood Breed that had been running amok all across Eastern Europe and even certain parts of Asia. You all can probably guess who I am referring to." Looks of grim understanding graced each Libra member's features before Lucky continued. "Naturally I agreed in offering my assistance, especially upon hearing who the big fish was, and together we tried to track down his seemingly random path of destruction. However shortly following each of the sightings we soon noticed there was also a rash of multiple people falling victim to the same unknown affliction."

"Let me guess, the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur?" Steven inquired.

"Bingo," Lucky confirmed. "Of course we didn't know that at the time. We thought that, much like you all did, it was nothing more than some type of virus until we saw the curse markings following the victims becoming deceased one after another. We decided to do some digging to try and determine what exactly the cause of the markings was and what we found was shocking to say the least. It turned out that there unfortunately had been _hundreds_ of cases all over the world dating back over the course of several decades that had been swept under the rug by several political, cultural and religious fanatics for one reason or another. The combined death toll of those cases was calculated at around a staggering 957 victims and during the time of my involvement another 42 people succumbed to the same horrible fate ranging from various towns and countries spanning from Russia all the way to France. Unfortunately even with all that we uncovered, we could not identify what the cause of those markings was and there was apparently no distinguishable pattern to connect the victims aside from the same mysterious symptoms."

"999 other victims. Why do I not like the sound of that?" Leo thought morbidly before Lucky continued.

"It actually wasn't until the Fang Hunter group reached out to a high-ranking Shaman in India after one of the more recent corpses of a soldier, who just so happened to have close ties to both the Vatican as well as Fang Hunter HQ, was discovered bearing the same strange symbols as the rest. It was actually the Shaman who realized the true identity of the curse and filled us in on the details surrounding the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur in accordance to some Alterworld documents he possessed. How he got his hands on such information I don't know. But as I explained to you all before, the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur is a forbidden, self-aware curse that acts upon a command or directive that ravages the afflicted person causing them a great deal of pain that increases exponentially until their inevitable end. However the curse in it's inactive or immature state _can't_ be detected by any typical means. The curse markings apparently only become visible to the naked eye just prior to the curse reaching its peak and after that occurs it's only a matter of time before the Maledictum attains self-awareness often signaling the point of no return for victims. That being said, the curse _can_ be perceived even in its inactive state by High Level beings such as high-ranking Casters, Spiritualists, and even Blood Breeds as well as—"

"The All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods," Klaus finished catching on.

"Precisely," Lucky affirmed. "Upon hearing everything about the curse and how it worked we speculated that the King of Pain was likely trying to inflict as much damage as possible but for what end we weren't sure. However before we could plot out our next course of action, I then received an anonymous tip that the King of Pain was spotted within Hellsalem's Lot of all places. After confirming the validity of the sightings, it was then decided that the Fang Hunter group allow me to take the reins and pursue the blasted monster to the city. Especially since Hellsalem's Lot was way out of their jurisdiction and I had more coverage of the city as well as contact with you all to help track him down and put an end to him."

"So now _we_ get to clean up _their_ mess. How considerate of them," K.K. sarcastically quipped folding her arms across her chest and leaning back in her seat with a scowl. Lucky sighed before he continued his explanation.

"Though I hate to admit it, my biggest reason for returning to the city was because I also wanted to make use of your All-Seeing Eyes to help us not only track down and seal him but to detect any more potential victims Leonardo," Lucky confessed casting a glance in the youth's general direction. "I just never expected that bastard would make the first move and on you of all people in the city." As unnerved as Leo was looking from hearing all this, he couldn't help but respond to Lucky's subtle guilt.

"I don't blame you Mr. Abrams. You couldn't have known this was going to happen any more than I could have."

"Well said. Although if the King of Pain _is_ as calculating as you say he is then I find it hard to believe that this is all just a random series of coincidences. He must be planning _something_ ," Steven remarked.

"I agree," Klaus seconded before glancing to his mentor. "Do you have any sort of idea now as to what the King of Pain's goal is in all of this Mr. Abrams?" Lucky however only sighed and shook his head.

"I'm afraid I still can't say. In all the time I spent hunting him down his actions have seemed sporadic but it's also apparent that they were carefully calculated. And like I said before, as far as we were aware there was absolutely no discernable connection between the victims that could have linked them all together and give us any sort of insight as to what the King of Pain could be planning other than just to cause mindless death and destruction."

"But you don't buy that do you?" Steven questioned. Lucky shook his head once more.

"No, but I do know one thing: whatever he's planning, it's likely something big and if I had to guess, does not bode well for humanity." The room was silent for a moment before Zapp spoke up.

"Speaking of people who could or couldn't have known this was going to happen, I'm going to address the elephant in the room here and ask why the hell you didn't tell us about any of this sooner Scrotum Scalp," Zapp crudely said directing his attention to Leo beside him. Even through his makeshift blindfold, Leo knew everyone else had also directed their attention towards him as he couldn't help but fidget a little under the weight of their stares.

"I couldn't remember okay. That stupid—" Immediately Leo cut himself off and slapped a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from continuing. Confused by Leo's actions at first, the group stared at him for a second before realizing something else.

"That's right. You couldn't because of that Silencing Hex," Chain recounted.

"Silencing Hex?" Lucky repeated in evident confusion as Hummer and Deldro also shared puzzled looks with each other. "What Silencing Hex?"

"I suppose you weren't filled in on that particular detail as we only told you about the bigger concern with the curse itself," Dr. Estevez mused before deciding to enlighten him. "Apparently on top of the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur, Leonardo had also been given a Silencing Hex in order to, if I had to guess, to keep him quiet from telling anyone about anything regarding the curse. When I was treating him back at the hospital, whenever he tried to communicate anything to me regarding his condition he would get cut off and choked up by something and it wasn't until we saw his runes of both incantations through his eyes that we figured out the cause why."

"Seriously? Is that true Leo?" Hummer asked to which Leo gave a shy and wordless nod of his head as Sonic let out comforting squeaks.

"Shit! To think that Son of a Bitch would go that far to keep from anyone finding out about his dirty work," Lucky cursed under his breath as he gripped the armrests of his chair.

"I understand that you couldn't speak about what happened to you Leo but how can you say you couldn't remember what happened?" Zed inquired with furrowed brows. Leo opened his mouth out of reflex to try and explain but quickly shut it again as a despondent frown quickly took its place. Realizing his apparent dilemma, the gathered crew's expressions softened ever so slightly.

"All right, we get it. You don't need to make that kind of face," Zapp relented.

"I guess we'll have to find another way around this problem if the kid is still physically unable talk about it," Steven surmised with a sigh as Gilbert approached the lot with a large tray of coffee mugs and in silent offering to which they gratefully accepted. As the other members took a quick pause to help themselves to an offered mug, it soon became apparent that Leo was completely unaware of his own mug that was offered to him due to both his lack of sight as well as being lost in thought.

"Master Leonardo, would you care for a cup of coffee?" Gilbert offered gently.

"Huh? Oh, yes please," Leo replied straightening up a bit as he gingerly put out his hands to feel where the mug would be without knocking it over. A small pang of mild pity ran throughout the group as Gilbert carefully placed the cup in the lad's hands and released his grip once he was sure Leo wouldn't accidentally drop it.

"Thanks Gilbert."

"Of course sir. Though I would advise some caution as it is freshly brewed and therefore quite hot," Gilbert warned.

"I can tell judging by how warm the cup is," Leo replied before he blew on his beverage and took a careful sip before his brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Isn't this instant coffee?"

"Unfortunately yes. The base's coffee maker has met with a rather untimely fate so I had to make due with what we had," Gilbert responded.

"I'm surprised you could tell the difference and blindfolded no less," Chain remarked after taking a drink from her own cup. Leo couldn't help give a small, almost wry smile.

"I guess there's some things I can still tell even without my eyes," Leo said. Lucky who had been nursing his own cup suddenly felt a thought strike him.

"Wait a second. Leonardo did I hear correctly before that you used your eyes back at the hospital to allow for Klaus and everyone else to see the curse and hex plaguing you?" Leo turned his head to Lucky's general direction.

"Uh yeah. I know it was a pretty reckless move but it was the only thing I could think of to—"

"That's not what I'm getting at," Lucky interrupted. "I was just thinking that if you used your eyes to give insight to the presence of the curse then isn't it possible that you might have found the hex's loophole." The gathered Libra members perked up a bit in interest.

"It's loophole?" K.K. repeated in a tone of questioning.

"Correct. Most Silencing Hexes typically work the same way if they are given specific conditions to follow. They mainly restrict verbal communication but if the recipient can bring what the hex is trying to restrict to light using _nonverbal_ means then the hex can be broken or, at the very least, lose its power over them," Lucky speculated.

"That certainly does make sense," Dr. Estevez said as the group had similar expressions of hopeful understanding.

"Leo what does it feel like to you when the Silencing Hex activates?" Klaus asked.

"Like there's a vice tightening around my neck," Leo replied timidly as he brought a hand up and rubbed his throat.

"And do you still feel that sensation when you get the urge to speak about what happened to you?" Leo blinked under his bandages as realization slowly came over him.

"No, I don't," Leo replied. The assembled crew exchanged prompt glances.

"Do you think you can try and tell us what happened now?" Lucky urged. Leo gulped but nodded.

"I can try," he responded in trepidation. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Last night I was on my way home from the office and about a block away from my apartment when I got ambushed." Leo took a brief pause to prepare himself for the worst but no feeling of his throat being squeezed shut came. Emboldened by the realization he was free, Leo continued albeit a bit wary of thinking back to the events that transpired. "I realized right away what I was dealing with and tried to get away but…I was overpowered and well, cursed and given that stupid Silencing Hex. I couldn't remember what happened because apparently the King of Pain tweaked the hex to suppress my memories so I wouldn't be able to remember anything much less do anything about it." Each person in the room had clearly irked expressions upon hearing Leo's recounting of the Blood Breed's underhanded tactics.

"So that's why," Zed muttered in understanding.

"Come to think of it, you also mentioned before that you were suffering from a bad headache during the events prior to all of this," Steven recalled. "Could it be that the reason for your headaches was likely due to the fact that your suppressed memories were trying to make their way back to the surface?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Leo admitted. "Every time I had one it was always after I had used my eyes to some degree and I recalled bits and pieces afterwards. But I didn't fully recall everything until we were facing off against that Blood Breed in the mall and the curse got to be too much to handle."

"Leonardo, did the King of Pain divulge any kind of information that might hint to what he could be plotting?" Klaus questioned. Leo thought for a second and almost instantly paled and his hands clutching his coffee mug began to tremble slightly. Sonic gazed up at the boy in fearful understanding as Klaus took immediate notice of the younger male's reaction. "Leo?"

"He wasn't specific but from the way he said made it sound, it seems like…" Leo gulped once more. "Like I have some kind of part in something bigger that he's planning." The gathered Libra member's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. A grim silence followed before Klaus' calm yet dangerously low voice cut through the quiet.

"We won't let that happen." Leo turned his head over to the direction of Klaus' voice. "Whatever the King of Pain is planning, we will _not_ let that happen!" Even through the blessed bandages Leo could tell Klaus had a look of resolve and clear displeasure judging by the slight change in atmosphere that was starting to permeate the whole room.

"Agreed," Steven firmly seconded as he set down his mug in the coffee table in front of them. "However first things first, before we can do anything we need to pinpoint the Elder Breed's location or better yet the bastard himself. Was anyone able to get any useful information?" Steven asked as he looked to Zapp, Zed, K.K. and Chain. The four had faint expressions of either regret or irritation.

"I looked into a couple shady establishments for information but either no one knew anything or they weren't wanting to talk even with a gun barrel against their temple," K.K. reported.

"Same with me and the fish," Zapp included as Zed nodded solemnly.

"I investigated some leads I received from my information network but came up empty as well," Chain informed. "But I can put in a word with the Werewolf Bureau and see if they can report back if they come across any useful information."

"Do it," Steven said. "With a city this size we'll take all the help we can get and with the kid and his eyes on the line we can't afford to fail." Leo couldn't help but feel a small surge of warmth spread through his chest before Steven continued. "That being said, I'll make some calls to our intelligence gathering members and informants and tell them to focus their attention on gathering any information or leads that they think we can use." He stood up from his spot on the couch and walked out of the common room into an adjacent room for privacy as he pulled out his cell phone punching in the first series of numbers.

"So what should we do in the meantime? Redouble our search efforts?" Zed asked as he looked over to Klaus.

"Eventually yes," Klaus replied. "However we should take a moment to plot out our next course of action before we act. Tracking down the responsible party is one thing but we still need to plan for the worst-case scenario to resolve Leonardo's curse especially considering I still have my doubts whether or not confronting the King of Pain will be enough to resolve the issue." The small warmth Leo felt in his chest faded quickly upon hearing this and the familiar sensation of guilt begin to form within him. Unaware of Leo's plight, Klaus redirected his attention to his mentor. "Mr. Abrams, do you think you can get in touch with the LHOS again to inquire about getting a hold of someone capable to remove the curse should that become a necessity?" Lucky, who had apparently been lost in his own thoughts, snapped to attention.

"Uh, yes of course," he replied to which Klaus gave a thankful nod.

"While we formulate an effective countermeasure against the threat at hand, I believe it would be best to simply continue our operations as normal," Klaus informed before glancing over to Leo's general direction. "Except for you Leonardo. For your own safety, I'd like for you to remain here in the safe house until the matter is settled." An expression of disbelief formed on Leo's face as he turned his head towards Klaus' general direction.

"What?"

"If the King of Pain truly is after you for whatever he might be scheming then we need to keep you as far off the radar as possible. Though rest assured, someone will be with you at all times," Klaus elaborated however Leo's troubled expression persisted.

"B-But…I mean, what about my day job?"

"We'll have you get in touch with them and explain that an emergency requiring your attention has come up. If by some chance they decide to dismiss you, Libra can step in and provide you additional financial support if need be." This option only seemed to cause Leo further distress as he waved his free hand not holding his coffee mug frantically in a dismissive manner.

"Ah no! That's not necessary! I mean…You don't need to…I don't want to be a…" Leo mumbled and fidgeted in his seat before Lucky cut in.

"It can't be helped Leonardo. Even with those blessed bandages staving off the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur it's just too risky. Furthermore with those bandages restricting your All-Seeing Eyes to ward off the curse, and by extension restricting your own vision, you'll have to live blind for a while until we can dispel it and I doubt you can work effectively blind even if we did decide to allow you to move about on your own." Leo winced at Lucky's choice of words but ultimately knew he had a good point.

"My apologies Leo but that's just how it has to be," Klaus asserted with a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"No, you're right," Leo ultimately relented with a sigh as he slumped slightly and clutched his mug a little tighter with both hands. Lucky gave a grunt of approval before he too stood up from his seat.

"I'll contact the Order to see who they might recommend for a high-class curse removal."

"Please do. In the meantime I believe it couldn't hurt to take the opportunity to simply try and compose ourselves while we await word from Steven and the LHOS."

"No complaints here Chief," Zapp replied as Leo heard the click of Zapp's lighter next to him followed shortly by the smell of cigar smoke. This however caused Zed to give Zapp a reproachful look.

"Can't you do that outside? This is a confined space with no windows and I hardly think Leo appreciates the smell being in such close proximity to you. And besides it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a lookout should anyone come snooping around."

"Oh cram it," Zapp dismissed curtly as he moved the cigar to the corner of his mouth. "If you're that worried about it why don't _you_ go and be lookout? Then again I bet it would look pretty suspicious if the Creature from the Black Lagoon were spotted in the middle of an abandoned oil refinery unit."

"No less weird than a shit-eating monkey being sighted here. And I'm not talking about Sonic," Chain cut in.

"You wanna go She-Bitch?" Zapp retorted angrily. As Zapp further retaliated with a volley of smack talk and cursing, sounds of the other Libra members were heard moving about from their different positions. However Leo remained on his spot on the couch unable to help the feeling of dread circulating in the pit of his stomach still clutching his mug tightly.

"Why do I have such a bad feeling about all this?"  
_

Several miles away, in one of the many partially destroyed and abandoned buildings within the city, a familiar long coat-wearing figure was seen standing on the ledge of one of the upper stories that was completely demolished but overlooking the whole city. He stood there for a solid moment with his eyes closed in apparent concentration before he opened his blood red eyes and gave a knowing smirk showing off his fangs. The King of Pain turned and jumped down into a hole leading several stories into the partially demolished building's interior where three other figures were waiting for him in the shadows.

"Well, what's the word boss?" a voice in a heavy Russian accent came from the largest figure as he stepped out of the shadows. He was a large, burly looking male with a blonde buzz-cut wearing a green tank top underneath a black leather jacket and camo pants tucked into black combat boots however his red eyes and fangs gave clear indication as to what he was.

"It's all proceeding just as I anticipated," the King of Pain replied with a smirk. "Judging by the faint traces of the Maledictum, I'd say the Silencing Hex was broken and the Fang Hunters have discovered the curse and have acted to keep it contained."

"Wait, they discovered it?" another voice cut in as the duo turned to the voice's owner. A slender male with greasy, shoulder length brown hair and wearing a black turtleneck sweater with black pants and plain tennis shoes sat cross-legged on one of the large chunks of rubble. Much like the other two males, he had the telltale red eyes and fangs of a Blood Breed. "Then what is even the point of sneaking around like this or even placing the hex on the brat in the first place if was just going to get discovered?" He questioned with a hint of pessimism apparent in his tone.

"Will you relax," a feminine voice with a slight but noticeable French accent spoke. The three male vampires glanced up to a fallen support beam where a female lay sprawled casually on her side on one of the fallen support beams with her head resting in her hand on a propped up elbow. She was clearly yet another Blood Breed based on her red eyes and fangs but also had long and wavy, black hair and was admittedly quite beautiful. She wore a red form-fitting low-cut blouse and a long, black skirt with strapped designer sandals. "I'm sure our humble leader has his reasons. Isn't that right?"

"Naturally," the King of Pain replied before turning his attention back to the pessimistic Blood Breed. "The Silencing Hex was merely a countermeasure solely for the purpose to allow the curse to mature. Whether they were made aware of my curse or not; it doesn't change a thing. In fact it works out better for us this way if anything else. After all, isn't it more fun to watch the despair sink into someone when they thought they were finally free of their torment?" he questioned with a manic grin. The three Blood Breeds developed wicked smiles of their own in response.

"Well when you put it like that," the slender Blood Breed replied with a smirk as the burly blonde male spoke up.

"So when do we strike my King?"

"Soon," the King of Pain merely said as he gained a look of excitement. "You've had no idea the lengths of careful planning I put into this plan. How long I searched all across both the Alterworld and this pitiful Human World for the components necessary for this endeavor. Decades! You've only had the fortune of a few months as we scoured the Human World looking for the necessary victims for my curse to gain its power as well as recruiting other Blood Breeds to join my— _our_ cause. You three were exceptionally chosen considering you share my vision as well as your strength and skills while dealing with the Fang Hunters that pursued us and I hope to see you do the same to the Fang Hunters in this city as well."

"Speaking of which, _where_ is that stupid mutt who joined us when we first came to the city?" the slender Blood Breed inquired cutting in as he rocked back and forth from his seated position on the rubble.

"That mongrel unfortunately lost his usefulness so he was disposed of," the Elder Class Breed replied flippantly with dismissive wave of his hand.

"He's dead? Say it isn't so," the female vampire said in mock dismay as she dramatically placed the back of her hand to her forehead.

"Hmph, I am not surprised," the burly Blood Breed replied in complete indifference as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the crumbling wall. "He had unusually rapid regenerative abilities for a simple Lower Class Breed but aside from that he was no more than a mindless beast too stupid to realize that he was only being used as a sacrificial pawn. He wouldn't have held any kind of value to us in the grand scheme of things anyway."

"I wouldn't say that," the female disagreed quickly snapping out of her over-exaggerated ploy as she rolled over onto her stomach on the pillar. "At the very least he had some entertainment value. Seeing that imbecilic face of his light up whenever I teased him was quite amusing especially considering the fact he truly believed he was on the same level as us."

"Who cares? In all likelihood we'll probably meet the same fate in one way or another," the slender male included with an unsettling look of calm before a look of elation entered his eyes. "But whatever, as long as I get to stick around long enough to watch this miserable city burn first I couldn't care less."

"Oh don't worry, you'll get your chance," the King of Pain assured as he moved to the large, broken window of the dilapidated building that was void of glass to look out. "The Fang Hunters have likely taken the boy into hiding thinking it will be enough to keep him safe while they try to find a way to remove the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur. Though I can still vaguely sense it, I admit they have employed some rather formidable measures to halt my curse's progression. As a result it has made locating his specific location a bit difficult."

"But knowing you, you've likely got something else up your sleeve to counteract this, am I right?" the female vampire presumed. The Elder Class Blood Breed looked back to his followers with a knowing but feral grin as his response before he hopped backwards up into the empty window well and spread his large, leathery red wings.

"Shall we show those Fang Hunters who they're messing with?" The three Blood Breeds' smiles grew terrifyingly wide as they straightened up from their respective spots and eagerly approached the window just as the King of Pain jumped out the window and soared into the night. The three Blood Breeds dissipated into bats and followed out the window after their leader as they headed towards the direction of the harbor.  
_

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long to post this one! Between being busy with work, other personal responsibilities, and lingering illness I've been too exhausted and preoccupied to write. While I have every intention of finishing this story I'm actually contemplating going on hiatus until I get enough taken care of where I can write with less stress. I am also rethinking which direction I want this story's climax to go but at the very least I'll try and put out another chapter before I make any official decisions (though I can't say when that chapter will be up as it is shaping up to be one of the more prominent and labor-intensive chapters in the story aside from the climax). All that aside, I quite like how this chapter turned out aside from a few relatively minor things. Lucky, Hummer and Deldro are not easy characters to write as they don't typically have a lot of screen time but hopefully I made them believable (writing the effects of Lucky's curse is going to be another frustrating but fun challenge and hopefully I can make it work). As for the story itself we now have a bit more information about the curse but we still don't know what Pain is planning and what's worse is they are gunning right for the unsuspecting Libra. What's going to happen?! Huge thanks to bodililla14 and cajungurl94 for following this story. Hope you guys are all enjoying this story as much as I am and I look forward to seeing/hearing from you in the next chapter. Until next time!


	6. The Ultimatum

Chapter 6: The Ultimatum

Back with Libra in the safe house, most of the group was still congregated in the common space albeit a bit more spread out while they did their own thing. Leo, still lost in his own thoughts as he mindlessly nursed his now cold mug of coffee, had not bothered to move from his spot as Sonic lay belly down on the armrest drifting in and out of sleep with his limbs draped over the sides. Zed now sat beside Leo as he read a book from the base's meager collection while Zapp and K.K. had taken to smoking in the corner of the common room closest to a ventilation fan so the smoke would not bother anyone else in the room. Hummer (and Deldro) lounged laying down on the other loveseat with his feet up on the armrest and one arm (the one not exposing Deldro from his veins) back behind his head in a relaxed posture. Chain and Dr. Estevez had moved to the dining room table and sat in conversing with each other as they sipped from their newly refilled mugs courtesy of Gilbert. Said Combat Butler was currently in the kitchen preparing a small platter of sandwiches for the group while Klaus stood in the back of the room along with Steven who had moved back into the main room but was still on his phone.

"I see…no don't worry about it…Acknowledged. Just keep me posted the second you find out anything useful," Steven said before he bid goodbye and hung up. Klaus didn't bother asking him how the conversation went as Steven's expression said it all before he elaborated. "All our sources were tapped out. Either this Blood Breed is trickier than we thought or he could have gone into hiding himself." Klaus' mouth pulled into a frown before Lucky entered the room. Everyone's attention (with the exception of the sightless and unaware Leo) turned to the Blood Breed Specialist.

"Any word from the Order?" Klaus inquired as everyone else listened in with piqued interest. Lucky sat down on the loveseat next to Hummer (and Deldro) after he sat up and repositioned himself to allow the older man to sit and solemnly shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I called them but got no answer so I can only assume they were in the middle of some important matters. I left a message explaining the current situation but chances are it'll be a while before we hear back from them." The group let out soft sighs of disappointment including the now clued in Leo.

"So now what?" Hummer queried with furrowed brows.

"We keep searching," Steven simply declared. "We'll explore every avenue available to us and dig as deep as we need to." This caused Zapp to let out a frustrated groan.

"Christ, this is going just like when we couldn't pinpoint the source of the Angel Scale drug routes," Zapp muttered irritably as he put out his cigar in the ashtray he and K.K. were sharing. This caused Klaus to look a bit thoughtful, which caught Steven's attention as well as K.K. who approached the duo.

"What's on your mind Klaus?" Steven asked keeping his voice low to avoid detection from the others.

"If our usual campaign of information gathering isn't proving successful, then perhaps we should start thinking outside the box. Perhaps someone more involved in what goes on in the Alterworld would have a better idea as to the King of Pain's whereabouts or better yet what he is planning," Klaus surmised. K.K. immediately knew what Klaus was suggesting and immediately interjected.

"You're not thinking of going to Don Arlelelle for information are you?" She whispered in concern so Steven couldn't hear her. "You barely survived the last Prosfair game you played with him and even then it nearly put you out of commission for an _entire_ day." Klaus' expression was steadfast as he replied.

"I'll manage. But it's important we resolve the problem at hand as soon as possible. If any more time is wasted there is no telling what kind of repercussions Leonardo could suffer from even with those bandages suppressing the curse's effects." While not entirely sure what the two were whispering about, Steven however heard the insistence in his friend's voice and spoke up.

"Relax Klaus. Mr. Abrams said he has enough of those bandages to keep the kid's curse at bay for a while until we figure out a way to remove it. And with word out to all Libra members, including our intelligence networks, we'll turn up some results in good time," Steven assured with a smile as he placed a hand on his broad shoulder. "Besides, that damned Blood Breed can't hide from us forever." Klaus sighed and gave the scar-faced man a small nod of agreement even though he didn't seem entirely convinced.

However what they didn't realize was that Leo's sharp ears picked up the whole conversation (save for whatever K.K. had whispered to Klaus). He frowned as he felt his persistent guilt become more pronounced. It was then that a distant yet unwelcome memory from his past surfaced in Leo's mind.

It was late at night nearly a week after the dreaded event of Michella having her eyesight taken from her by that cursed Alterworldly being –Riga El Menuhyut if Leo recalled correctly from his experience with Dr. Gamimozu— that had plagued Leo's thoughts and fears ever since. Michella was coping surprisingly well in spite of the circumstances though the same couldn't be said for Leo as between his despair and guilt he was also suffering from the difficult assimilation process with the All-Seeing Eyes. While his body and mind tried to adjust to the overwhelming overlap of information and surges of unearthly power that no one, not even experienced doctors, seemed to understand, it made him physically ill and unstable. As a result he was often struck with severe convulsions and vomiting and it was taking its toll both mentally and physically on him. That night in particular was no different as once more he found himself rushing to the bathroom and heaving into the toilet praying he would not go into another fit of violent spasming.

Thankfully it was just a short-lived episode and with nothing left in his system to expel, Leo just breathed hard and rested against the cool porcelain as he waited for his initial discomfort to pass. Eventually it did and Leo rose back to his feet completely fatigued and disheveled and stumbled out of the bathroom and back to his room. However before he even reached the doorway he heard quiet but heated whispering from downstairs. Curious, he crept to the top of the stairs as carefully as he could and listened in.

"…I can't stand it anymore," a voice he recognized belonging to his mother hissed. "Hearing those god-awful retching sounds day and night, the trips to the hospital, not to mention dealing with all the rumors flying around about what happened…I can't even imagine how Michella can stand any of this. She's right next door to his room for God's sake!" Another hushed voice responded in a harsh tone that clearly belonged to his father.

"You don't think it's any easier for me? Who do you think has to pay the bills for all the hospital visits?" An aggravated huff shortly followed. "It's getting to the point that if these episodes continue then we'll have to just let whatever happens to him happen!" Leo's squinted eyes widened slightly upon hearing this as his father continued. "If those so-called doctors can't help with…whatever the hell happened their eyes then there's no point in wasting any more money, time or energy on it. Especially when we're going to have to put so much towards helping Michella deal with her lack of sight now on top of everything else. And honestly…this is what he gets for being too much of a coward to protect his own sister!" Leo recoiled as if he was physically struck by his father's words as he awaited his mother's response. Part of him hoped that she would interject but deep down he knew that she wouldn't. Sure enough he heard his mother let out a heavy sigh.

"You're right." Leo felt tears prick the corners of his vision as he quietly retreated from the top of staircase and entered his room closing the door gently behind him before slumping down against it and curling into a tight ball of misery.

Leo's mind came back from the unpleasant memory and he let out a quiet shuddering breath. His past prior to Hellsalem's Lot, especially when it concerned the events of that terrible day on the edge of the city, was not something he liked to think about but sometimes certain memories bubbled to the surface against his will. And with those memories came the constant nagging guilt he still couldn't seem to let go of even after all that's happened. Now here he is again, in a similar situation being targeted by an Alterworldly being that wants God knows what forcing a terrible power onto him and aside from his own suffering, his circumstances are affecting everyone else around him. It really _is_ as if nothing has changed after all.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat along with the last swig of cold coffee, Leo set the empty cup down on the coffee table before him (or at least he tried to but came up just short of the edge of the table. Were it not for the silently observing Zed, who used his blood threads to catch the mug before it fell to the ground and gently place it on the table in Leo's place, it would have shattered). He rose to his feet catching the attention of Sonic and the other Libra members.

"Is something wrong Leo?" Klaus asked immediately a bit on edge. Catching the unease in his boss' tone, Leo forced away his lingering sorrow and guilt and put on the most convincing smile he could while shaking his head.

"No, I just need to use the bathroom."

"I see," Klaus replied relaxing a bit. "Will you need any help getting there?" Leo couldn't help but flush slightly once more feeling overly self-conscious.

"N-No, no! I can manage on my—" Leo went to take a step forward but was cut off as he slammed his sock-covered pinky toe (as he still had not put his shoes back on from being bedridden) against the leg of the coffee table causing him to let out a yelp of pain and cringe down as he hissed and clutched his foot. Zapp and Deldro couldn't help a few small snorts of amusement but they were quickly shut up by the collective death glares sent their way.

"Are you all right?" Zed asked looking back to the further embarrassed youth.

"I'm fine," Leo assured through clenched teeth fighting through his mortified blush. He straightened up and took a few tentative steps forward with his arms slightly outstretched to blindly feel his way. The others observed in silence at the pitiable sight as somehow Leo managed to make it to just before the kitchen. Sonic let out a small sound similar to a sigh before hopping up on Leo's shoulder and tugged on his hoodie effectively redirecting him in the proper direction. Once Leo's hand made it to the back wall, he all but slunk away and out of sight until the remaining Libra members heard the bathroom door close behind him and the group let out simultaneous sighs.

"Poor kid," Chain couldn't help but declare.

"Well, Leonardo's stubborn tendencies aside, at least things are going proceeding rather smoothly," Dr. Estevez said with an optimistic smile.

"Yes…almost _too_ smoothly," Lucky mindlessly muttered as he took on a thinking pose. Knowing Lucky's tendencies better than anyone, Klaus gave him an urgent look.

"Is there something you think we should be concerned about?" Lucky redirected his attention to Klaus.

"It's just…something hasn't been sitting quite right with me since you all brought up the Silencing Hex. While at first glance it makes perfect sense as to why the King of Pain would place the hex on Leonardo to keep from being found out, when I think more about it, the _way_ he went about it doesn't make much sense."

"What do you mean?" Steven asked gravely as the other Libra members gave Lucky looks of apprehension.

"It doesn't match his M.O. If the King of Pain really wanted to keep the curse from being found out than it would have made more sense for him to use something more permanent to ensure that than a simple, albeit modified, Silencing Hex."

"Maybe the freak didn't think we would figure it out," Zapp suggested with a small shrug.

"No," Lucky immediately stated with a shake of his head. "Unfortunately he's smarter than that. If the King of Pain was calculating enough to stalk Leonardo and wait until the right time to strike and then place the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur on him while having the sense to cover his tracks then he should have known that we would act to do whatever we could to prevent the curse from taking over once we were made aware of it. So using such a sloppy hex with such a massive loophole that could have been exploited a number of different ways doesn't make sense." Lucky explained his expression one of deep thought until his eyes slowly widened in realization. "Not unless…" Lucky trailed off but slowly Klaus and the others immediately picked up on what Lucky was implying and cold dread washed over them.

"Unless it was _meant_ to be broken," Steven finished numbly with wide eyes. No sooner had this been said when a loud exclamation of pain followed by the thud of something heavy came from the direction of the bathroom. Scrambling out their designated spots the group bolted into the hallway heading for the bathroom as Klaus practically threw the door open nearly breaking it off its hinges. Their hearts leapt into their throat as sure enough Leo lay on the tile floor, face contorted in clear pain as he gripped the sides of his head and writhed, curling in and out of a fetal position as Sonic squeaked and chattered in a panic.

"Leonardo!" Klaus exclaimed as he knelt by Leo's side. Leo let out another distressed shout as suddenly the curse's red runes slowly became visible and formed moving down over Leo's body from head to toe.

"What's going on? What's happening to him?" Hummer asked looking both confused and concerned.

"The curse is being activated! It's entering the next stage!" Lucky exclaimed in alarm.

"But how? I thought we contained it!" Zapp questioned in disbelief. Unbeknownst to Libra, the King of Pain and his small band of Blood Breeds were situated on top of one of the adjacent large oil refinery storage tanks in the nearby area as his already piercing red eyes glowed an eerily luminescent color.

"So that's your trick," the burly Blood Breed spoke up in understanding. "You can manually force the curse to activate."

"Yes although it does take a bit of effort," The King of Pain replied with a bit of strain evident in his voice and expression before it was quickly replaced with a sinister smirk. "But that's not all I can do," the Elder Class Blood Breed prefaced before focusing his power. Inside the compound, Leo shouted out again as he felt a foreign power flow through him from the pulsing red runes and focus on his eyes as he covered his bandage wrapped eyes with his hands.

"Leo, speak to us. What's the matter?" Klaus questioned clearly perturbed as he cradled the smaller male to try and keep him still as he squirmed. Leo however did not respond as he threw his head back with another cry, bringing his hands down in the process and snapping his eyes open and activating them against his will under the bandages. As the familiar All-Seeing Eyes' seals appeared just above the blessed bandages Libra gasped as the wrapping's runes slowly lost their glow and dulled until slowly they started to rip.

"What are you doing kid?" Steven exclaimed.

"I-It's not…me…ARGH!" Leo managed to grind out as he fought against the strain before his eyes began to smoke and overheat as the All-Seeing Eyes' power clashed with the bandages sealing properties until something had to give. Finally the raw power of both the curse and Leo's eyes were too much and the bandages tore themselves apart as Leo's active and smoking All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods caused Leo even greater agony as he screamed and arched his back as his eyes' power rippled out in a wave of energy.

"LEO!" the gang exclaimed simultaneously as Leo's All-Seeing Eyes acted on their own volition to project his location to the receiving party. Outside, the King of Pain's vision was met with a blue tint as the familiar seal-like lenses appeared before the Blood Breed's eyes. The other Blood Breeds gave sounds of pleased interest as the Elder Class scanned his surroundings until he spotted a noticeable cluster of auras some distance away underground including the pale blue aura outline of one person in particular. Immediately both Leo and the King of Pain made eye contact with each other through the shared vision causing the cold grip of fear to run through the young male as the Elder Class Blood Breed gave a wild, sadistic smile.

"I see you," he said in a creepy singsong voice as he pointed towards his direction signaling to the trio of vampires who took off towards him before allowing the connection to cut off. Leo gasped as his All-Seeing Eyes deactivated and he was left sweating, panting, and nearly ghost white; his body once more assaulted by the involuntary spasms of pain associated with the curse.

"Leo?" Klaus said again in a questioning tone.

"T-They're coming," Leo could only weakly mutter before the strain of the clashing powers between his eyes and the sealing bandages along with the once more rampant curse caused him to once slip into unconsciousness and left him a gasping and pain-wracked mess as the runes continued to visibly pulse red. Before the gang could comprehend Leo's ominous message, the safe house's alarms began blaring just as the warehouse above them quaked.

"That's the Stage 3 perimeter alarm. Someone's attacking the site!" Steven alerted. Gilbert, who had also been silently observing from the doorway, wordlessly turned and tapped a seemingly normal panel in the wall causing another television monitor to flip out from the wall and project a live feed of the warehouse above. His formerly neutral expression faltered a bit as his eyes widened ever so slightly as he studied the feed.

"Young sir, from what I am able to discern there appears to be more than one individual responsible for the assault. However the assailants do not appear to show up on the monitor feed," Gilbert informed looking to Klaus.

"What?" Lucky exclaimed as he went over and observed the feed for himself. Sure enough, the live footage only seemed to show the already ruined warehouse above forming massive cracks, holes and slash marks as something invisible coming from at least more than one source seemed to tear the place apart. "That can only mean—" Lucky started before Klaus finished the shared thought.

"Blood Breeds," Klaus growled just as the base quaked yet again as small cracks and dirt crumbled from the ceiling above.

"Oh Goddamn it!" Steven cursed before looking over to Lucky. "How many of them do you think there are?" Lucky studied the monitor for a moment before replying.

"Without thermo-imagery technology I can't be 100% certain but if I had to guess, I'd say at least three of them."

"Well this is a fine fucking mess," K.K. snarled as once more the base quaked. "At this rate it's only a matter of time before they find the hidden entrance and force their way in." Klaus cast a quick glance to Leo who was still cradled in his arms panting and trembling and hardened his expression before rising to his feet.

"This is clearly a coordinated attack with the purpose of getting to Leonardo," Klaus analyzed before directing his gaze to Lucky. "Mr. Abrams, I need you, Gilbert, Chain, and Miss Estevez to take Leonardo and get him safely away from here. You can take the secret exit down the hall that should lead you safely outside a good distance away. Gather everything you need and go quickly!" the Libra leader directed. Lucky nodded in understanding as Gilbert promptly turned to grab the necessary supplies while Klaus helped ease Leo's unconscious body onto his back piggy-back style with his arms slung over the older man's shoulders so he could carry him out without too much trouble.

"What about the rest of you?" Dr. Estevez questioned as Lucky repositioned Leo so he wouldn't slip off.

"We'll stay behind to engage the threat and keep them from pursuing you," Klaus informed as he donned his leather battle glove and cross-shaped knuckleduster. "We'll meet up with the rest of you as soon as we can."

"Be careful you guys," Chain urged as Gilbert returned carrying Dr. Estevez's medical bag along with a backpack of supplies as well as Lucky's briefcase containing the curse-sealing bandages. Klaus gave a nod conveying the same message before a louder crash than usual from nearly overhead caught their attention as a bit more dirt and concrete rained down from the ceiling above and the lights started to flicker.

"Looks like they're knocking on our front door now," Zapp declared.

"Go!" Klaus ordered and without hesitation they complied and jogged down the hallway with Sonic accompanying them on their heels. Gilbert activated another hidden panel this time revealing a secret compartment with a biometric hand scanner. Quickly removing his glove, he placed his palm on the scanner allowing it to read the handprint before slipping it back on. The scanner processed the biometric reading before turning green and a hidden doorway in the wall opened up allowing the group to quickly escape through.

On the surface, the three Blood Breeds had managed to disengage the high-level illusionary disguise and were now working on prying open the heavy-duty door and its lock.

"Those Huma are foolish if they think hiding away like this will save them," the female Blood Breed sneered as she watched the buff Blood Breed work on peeling the thick metal door by its corners assisted by the slender Blood Breed. Finally they managed to bend and twist the metal back enough where half the door was peeled back like a banana and the Alterworldly bloodsuckers could easily walk through. The burly Blood Breed took the initiative and darted through first with a sinister smirk. However not even two seconds later, and before the other two could follow in after him, a massive blood fist, courtesy of Deldro and Hummer, broke through the half demolished metal door, tearing it completely off its hinges and punching the buff Blood Breed back out the way he came in the process. The burly Blood Breed recovered quickly and back flipped skidding back a couple feet unfazed as Klaus, Steven, Zapp, Zed, K.K. and Hummer plus Deldro strolled out into the open warehouse with defiant expressions.

"So you are the feared Fang Hunters of this city," the buff Blood Breed said as he straightened up and stood in between the other two Blood Breeds as they sized up their opponents. "I have to say I'm a little underwhelmed." The Libra members narrowed their eyes and got into their battle-ready stances while bearing their respective weapons.

"We won't allow you to pass any further!" Klaus declared as he took his usual Spartan-like stance while he gripped his knuckleduster in his left hand. This however caused the vampire trio to smirk.

"We'll see about that," the burly Blood Breed challenged before the three Blood Breeds charged forward. Klaus immediately summoned his Unzerbrechlich Kreuzschild technique to brace and shield himself from the blonde-haired bloodsucker's attack just as he threw a double-fisted punch into it. The makeshift shield held strong but out of the corner of Klaus' eye he could see the slender, black-wearing Blood Breed make a move. His fingernails extended and sharpened into razor-sharp claws as he launched forward looking to rip Klaus to pieces while he was distracted. Fortunately someone else saw this and acted to intercept the attack.

"Exocrimson!" Hummer shouted as Deldro and the rest of his blood swirled out from his veins and encircled and encased Hummer. The blood solidified forming an armor-like exoskeleton as he shifted into a large red and black demon-like form that surpassed even Klaus' size and stature with beady yellow eyes and upward turned horns protruding from his jaw line. Now packing some serious muscle, Blood Hummer backhanded the vampire with a large fist with such power that it nearly sent him flying through the roof. However he recovered quickly with an amazing display of nimbleness as he flipped and twisted in the air before planting his feet on the ceiling and jumping down to flip and land on the ground in a crouching position.

As the slender Blood Breed shook off the hard blow, a flurry of electrified bullets followed by large shards of ice tried to finish the job. Unfortunately the vampire reacted and easily dodged the attack by leaping backwards an inhuman distance before latching vertically onto a nearby support beam as he gazed at the culprits responsible for the interference. Steven stood with an icy mist circulating from his legs as K.K. gripped her dual pistols. The slender male growled defiantly before the steel support beam under him was sliced to pieces. Once more the Blood Breed avoided getting caught just in time as it crumbled to pieces in a plume of smoke and debris. Through the cloud both Zapp and Zed emerged clutching their respective blood weapons as they simultaneously went in for the kill.

However, before they could even reach the slender male, the female Blood Breed intercepted them and let out an ear-splitting scream causing shockwaves that blasted the duo back as they dispersed their weapons and clutched their ears in pain. Thankfully it was short lived as a large blood cross sent her crashing full-force into the far wall. Zapp and Zed glanced over to the source where Klaus stood poised from the attack he just performed before he was roped back into his own battle with the burly Blood Breed as he lunged at the red-haired man. The sound of shifting rubble caught the two Big Dipper Blood Technique users attention as they quickly reformed their weapons and turned back to see the female emerge from the rubble practically unscathed save for some dirt on her clothes.

"How unsightly," she nonchalantly remarked as she dusted off her skirt unintentionally showing a bit of leg.

"You know it's too bad you're a bloodsucking monster," Zapp prefaced as he clutched his blood sword and Zed his blood trident and they took a battle ready stance. "If you weren't I totally think we could have hit it off." Zed gave Zapp a quick, unimpressed glare that went ultimately ignored. The female Blood Breed looked a bit confused before it quickly vanished and was replaced with an unusually normal smile as she studied him up and down.

"Well I have to admit you aren't quite as repulsive as some other men I've encountered," she admitted as she teasingly showed off a bit more skin by letting her blouse's sleeve slip down on her shoulder ever so slightly. Zed quickly averted his eyes out of both distrust for the female's actions as well as a bit of bashfulness while Zapp looked torn between excitement and the reminder that she was not human. Quickly he shook his head to clear his mind and refocus on the task at hand.

"Oh yeah, well…you're not as hot as you think you are," Zapp retorted trying not to sound flustered. Instead of getting angry or upset, the monstress instead seemed amused.

"Oh? But _you_ still think I am, how you say, 'hot' don't you?" She asked with a seductive, fanged smile and tilt of her head letting some strands of her long black hair fall along her face. Zapp couldn't help but gulp and let his eyes wander over her provocative form before he caught sight of her red eyes that seemed to shimmer. Slowly he began to feel his resolve fall and crumble away under the gaze of her eyes and his grip on Homuramaru started to loosen.

"Y-You…I, uh…" Zed picked up on his fellow disciple's change in demeanor and cast Zapp a quick questioning glance. In that split second, her seductive smile widened slightly into a practically vicious smirk before she was suddenly within arms-length of the white-haired man startling both Libra members. The sudden close proximity also seemed to strengthen whatever effect she was having on him as now Zapp found his movements nearly completely frozen and his brain struggled to catch up. She chuckled as she stared into his surprised grey eyes with her own red ones and saw the mild look of shock and panic present.

"You don't have to be afraid, I promise I'll treat you gently," she whispered as she leaned in closer to his neck and opened her mouth revealing her sharp fangs. Before she could sink her teeth into his jugular, she stopped just short as the prongs of Zed's trident pierced clean through her chest. She cast a glance down at the protruding weapon before looking over she shoulder behind her to see Zed who was clutching his trident with a set scowl. With all his strength he flung the female Blood Breed away with a grunt while at the same time summoning a small channel of wind from the trident's blades to help blow her away while shredding her skin in the process. Once more she went colliding into another far wall hard enough to create a crater and seemingly stun the seductive vampire. Zed then glanced back to Zapp who seemed to finally snap out of whatever spell he was under and he shook his head once more to clear his mind.

"Just once, can't you fight your primal urges and use your head for something other than decoration?" Zed chastised in irritation. In a split second Zapp's expression went from dazed to irritated.

"Oh don't act like it would have been any different for you if you were in the same boat you overgrown guppy!" Zapp retorted with a snarl.

"She was _clearly_ trying to manipulate you to let your guard down. If I hadn't intervened, you would have likely either died from blood loss or gotten turned into a mindless ghoul, more so than usual."

"You think I needed your help you—" Before Zapp could finish his sentence a cold chuckle snapped them out of their arguing.

"You might want to think about keeping your focus on me boys." Slowly Zapp and Zed realized too late that in the time they had taken their eyes off her, the female Blood Breed had recovered, regenerating the gaping wound in her chest and various cuts from the razor-like wind in the process, and closed the gap between them. Just as they turned their heads towards her, she let out another hypersonic shriek at such close range that it in turn sent the duo flying and tumbling back a ways gaining scratches and scrapes in the process. Thinking quickly they dug their weapons into the ground to anchor themselves.

Slightly dazed and ears ringing from the nearly concussive blast, the Big Dipper Style users looked up and found themselves almost caught off guard again as through their hazy vision, they observed the monstress charge them and follow up with a swipe of her sharpened nails. Fighting through the disorientation, Zed parried the attack with his trident Piercing Dragon Spear and Zed slashed at her with Homuramaru. She nimbly back flipped away in time to avoid the sword before planting her hands on the ground, essentially performing a handstand, before she rotated her body and launched a series of strong kicks to Zapp's stomach and Zed's side. While the blows were enough to add to the already accumulating injuries, it also further helped to allow Zapp and Zed become more alert. Shaking off the damage and lingering dizziness the two shared wordless nods of understanding before lunging at the monstress with simultaneous battle cries.

"Big Dipper Style Blood Technique Blade Form Two, Sky-Slicing Strands!" The duo exclaimed simultaneously as they flung their respective weapons that burst into a slew of blood threads that looked to ensnare the female Blood Breed. Cautious of whatever they were planning, she immediately tried to escape the tactic by ducking, dodging, and even attacking every blood thread that came close but ultimately was too slow a she was ultimately trapped and tightly ensnared in the web of threads. As Zapp went to flick his blood lighter to initiate his Seventh Hell technique, she quickly cast him a mixed look of sultry need and desperation as her eyes once more seemed to gain that same unusual shimmer. Once more Zapp felt his resolve slip as he hesitated with flicking the switch.

"What are you waiting for?" Zed demanded as he kept the blood threads wound as tightly as he could. "Hurry up and do it before—" His plea came too late as she blindsided them with another hypersonic shriek that disrupted their concentration and caused the blood threads binding her to dissipate.

"You men are all the same. So typical and easy," she taunted with a haughty smirk. Both Zapp and Zed's equilibrium was starting to take longer to recover as they fought to quickly recover their bearings.

"Guh! Spacing out twice in one battle is unusual even for you," Zed evaluated with a grunt as wielded his trident defensively not wanting to give the female Blood Breed the opportunity to take them by surprise again. "It seems as if she has some sort of mild hypnosis abilities."

"Yeah I freakin' noticed," Zapp ground out as he brandished Homuramaru in the same defensive manner as he cast the cocky female an irritated scowl.

"We need to finish this quickly before she can use those abilities again or do anymore damage to our senses."

"No shit Sherlock! Just don't slow me down!"

"That's my line!" Both men gave each other brief aggravated looks before they charged the female bloodsucker with similar shouts of aggression as they went to continue the clash head on.

Steven and K.K. were also struggling with their own battle as the slender Blood Breed was proving a difficult target to hit due to his blinding speed. Steven lashed out with one ice-laden kick after another and launching shards of ice every time the slender vampire got close only to miss the target completely and get deep slashes with the Blood Breed's razor sharp claws in retaliation. K.K. was also in the same boat as both fighters were starting to get overwhelmed from the Blood Breed's speediness and slightly weary from the trickles of blood from their open wounds. The fast-paced vampire seemed to sense this as well as he delivered a swift kick to K.K.'s back sending her crashing into Steven.

"You Fang Hunters really are nothing special," the Blood Breed said as he stopped to give a mocking laugh. "I don't know why so many other Blood Breeds have fallen victim to you but you stand no chance against me!" The two Libra members grit their teeth and glared at their opponent.

"Just perfect. Not only do I get teamed up with _you_ yet again but we have to deal with this arrogant prick too?" K.K. complained casting a sideways glare to Steven as she clutched her pistols and ignored her stinging wounds as she stood. "I just can't catch a break."

"Eyes on the prize K.K. We need to work together to take this cretin down," Steven replied coolly as he ignored his own injuries and also got to his feet.

"Like I don't know that!" the sharpshooting female snapped.

"Relax, I've got a plan," Steven assured. "Just follow my lead." K.K. looked like she was about to protest but just clicked her tongue and relented.

"Tch, it better be a good one." With a sneer the slender Blood Breed charged forward with blinding speed. However Steven just smirked and stood his ground.

"Esmerelda Blood Freeze! Avión del Cero Absoluto!" Steven stamped on the ground allowing ice to spread out and overtake the area around them and as he had hoped the Blood Breed's speed dropped drastically. The slick surface provided no means of traction for the vampire as he slipped and slid across the frozen ground cursing as he tried to recover. Using the opportunity Steven managed to finally land a direct kick to the Blood Breed's gut while summoning an icicle spear that impaled the Blood Breed through the gut and forcing him back before K.K. opened fire. However not long after each electrified bullet tore through the Blood Breed, he started to quickly regenerate. Not wanting to give the Blood Breed the chance to recover, Steven lunged forward and performed a spinning heel kick while summoning another large icicle to spear through the Blood Breed's chest.

Unfortunately the still regenerating Blood Breed foresaw the attack this time around and reacted by using his claws to slice through the icicle shattering it into chunks. Not expecting the Blood Breed to make such a move Steven was caught off guard briefly before he refocused and tried to summon more spikes from the frozen ground to impale the Breed. However, the Blood Breed managed to regain his footing, even on the frozen surface, and leapt high into the air just narrowly avoiding the move. Now fully regenerated, the Blood Breed latched onto the ceiling and used it as a launch pad to aim straight for the two Libra members with his claws bared. Steven and K.K. reacted by launching their respective forms of attacks to meet the threat head on.

"Esmerelda Blood Freeze! Espada del Cero Absoluto!"

"954 Blood Bullet Art! Electrigger 1.25 Gigawatt!" Surprisingly the attacks struck head on in a collision of ice and electrified steel and resulted in a minor blast of energy kicking up smoke and debris from the surrounding area.

"Did we get him?" K.K. questioned hopeful. Unfortunately her question was soon answered as through the smoke cloud, the Blood Breed shot out at frightening speed, several good chunks of his body torn and blasted away but still alive and kicking. The madly grinning vampire headed straight for Steven who retaliated by launching another ice-laden kick. However what he didn't expect was the Blood Breed immediately avoiding the Esmerelda Blood Freeze Style user by jumping and somersaulting over him and refocusing his attention on K.K. who was covering Steven's rear and caught completely off guard. She raised her pistols to try and fire at the incoming monster but with the Blood Breed's unexpected move and close range she was unsuccessful in hitting it as the vampire landed just in front of her. He grabbed one arm and forced it tightly behind her back causing her to drop the pistol clutched in that hand and let out a grunt of distress as the vampire wrapped his other regenerating limb around her neck.

"K.K.!"

"How unexpected," the slender vampire said sarcastically as he focused his attention on Steven and finished regenerating. "I'll admit you gave me a bit more trouble than I anticipated with that little icy trick of yours but nothing more. So, what's your next move then Fang Hunter? Aren't you going to still slay me? Or perhaps you can't because your comrade is in the line of fire," the cynical Blood Breed mocked as he gripped K.K.'s arm a little tighter and she stifled a sound of discomfort. Steven grit his teeth and let out a growl in response causing the Blood Breed to give a cocky smirk. "Here, why don't I make it _easier_ for you." With that last statement the Blood Breed charged, still clutching K.K. using her body as a literal human shield while he bared his other clawed hand. Unwilling to hurt K.K. or play the Blood Breed's twisted game, Steven's mind raced to figure out what to do other than shield himself with his arms. The Blood Breed raked his claws across Steven's arms and torso drawing more blood and causing him to let out a cry of pain as the Breed passed by him before skidding to a halt.

"Heh, you Huma are so predictable," the Blood Breed chuckled as Steven grit his teeth and took a knee from the new injury. "You fight and preach about your own ideals and values but when fronted with an event that contradicts those values you come to a screeching halt and can't bring yourself to act because of your pathetic humanity." Steven and K.K. both turned to shoot the underhanded vampire dirty looks.

"At least we still have our humanity you monster!" Steven snarled. The Blood Breed gave him an unreadable expression before shifting into a cold sneer.

"Well then, allow me to rectify that for you." With that the Breed charged at breakneck speed, K.K. still in his grasp, once more wielding his claws and going in for the finishing blow. Fortunately the female gunslinger thought fast and planted her feet into the ground, resulting in her skidding along the ground as she tried to slow the Blood Breed's charge from reaching Steven. In addition she twirled the other pistol she was still clutching around so that the gun barrel was facing backwards towards the Blood Breed's abdomen. Allowing the electricity in her blood to flow through her gun as a medium, she fired a highly charged shock round into the vampire's abdomen using her pinky to pull the trigger.

While not halting the Breed completely, it did weaken him enough to slightly relinquish his grip on K.K. allowing her throw and elbow back into where the bullet entered striking him in the gut and stunning him further so that she could successfully break away. Twirling around she fired another shot striking between the vampire's eyes causing his head to recoil back before she ran to recover her other pistol. However no sooner had she grabbed the gun and turned to blow more shock rounds into the cynical Blood Breed, did the once more regenerated monster lash out with his claws and an irritated scowl slashing across her body much like he had done to Steven. As the Blood Breed then brought his other clawed hand out to strike the finishing blow, he soon found himself frozen in a large chunk of ice courtesy of the intervening Steven. This bought both Libra members enough time to regroup before the Blood Breed broke out of the chunk of ice with a deeper scowl than he had previously.

"You really don't know when to quit do you?"

"Not until the last of your kind are taken down," Steven declared firmly as both brawlers gave the Breed defiant glares before priming themselves for their battle to continue.

Even caught up in his own fight, Klaus couldn't help but cast a quick glance over at his fellow teammates and take note of their conditions. His brows furrowed in both anger and concern as he noticed the noticeable injuries they were accumulating as Steven, K.K., Zapp and Zed were barely holding their own against the two clearly higher ranking Blood Breeds. And he was not the only one to take notice of this.

"Instead of worrying about them, you should worry more about yourself Fang Hunter." Klaus snapped his attention back to the burly Blood Breed just in time as he leapt up and was about to deliver a powerful downward kick. Thankfully Klaus braced himself in time and brought his arms up to block the blow just before the kick made contact although the force was enough to cause the concrete beneath him to crack. Klaus grabbed the Blood Breed's ankle and using all his strength slammed the Blood Breed to the ground cracking the cement in the process. In spite of this however the vampire managed to recover easily enough and upon seeing Klaus prepare to use his knuckleduster to deliver a follow-up blow dissipated into bats to avoid the attack. Klaus was mildly surprised by the tactic as the Blood Breed reformed right behind him and proceeded to perform an elbow strike to the back of the neck. Thankfully Klaus kept his guard up and blocked the strike by twisting his body and using his right forearm to parry the blow to the side and deliver a hard blow to the shoulder with his knuckleduster knocking him off balance. Taking advantage of the opening Klaus delivered a combo of strong left hooks with his knuckleduster and countering jabs with his right as the vampire managed to recover and match Klaus' blows. Klaus landed one last solid cross blow to the Breed's face before he declared his next attack.

"Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique, Form 11: Wirbelstrum!" With a wave of his arm Klaus summoned a swarming mass of blood crosses that swirled around the Blood Breed, tearing chunks of his body away as he was picked up in the vortex and slammed into the ground with great enough force that the area around them almost caved in and created a decently sized crater. Even after the heavy damage sustained the burly Blood Breed let out an amused laugh as he slowly rose to his feet while regenerating what body parts he had lost in the ensuing attack.

"Not bad Fang Hunter. I have to admit I underestimated you." Klaus narrowed his eyes at the formidable Breed and resumed his Spartan-like stance.

"You may have the abilities of a typical Blood Breed but I must admit you don't fight like one."

"I suppose that's because I've picked up a couple tricks from you miserable Huma who have had the gall to think they could defeat me over the years. That and, well, I enjoy testing the mettle of those foolish enough to think they can take me on before I decide you're worth my time to go all out on or not. That being said, both your hand-to-hand skills and that insufferable blood technique of yours have gotten my own blood pumping so to speak. It really makes me want to sink my teeth into something," the buff Blood Breed commented with an excited smirk as he finished regenerating.

"Then why don't you have a taste of this?" Blood Hummer quipped as he intervened appearing from behind and grabbing the burly vampire around his middle and lifting him up before springing up high into the air. "Earth-Shaking German Suplex!" Blood Hummer announced as he somersaulted backwards before driving the Breed's head and shoulders deep into the concrete creating another large crater in the process. Releasing his grip, Blood Hummer backed off just as the buff Blood Breed recovered and pulled himself out of the concrete. "How's that?" The Blood Breed's neck and head was turned at an inhumanly unnatural angle but was immediately snapped back into place with a loud and sickening crack by the vampire's own hands as he gave his newest adversary an unimpressed glower.

"I would say that was impressive, had it done anything to stop me," the Breed deadpanned.

"Oh yeah well there's plenty more where that came from." Blood Hummer charged forward with arms splayed out with hands clenched into fists and began delivering a flurry of powerful and rapid punches. "Hundred Crack Fist of the Me!" The Blood Breed however easily dodged each one with astounding speed before bringing his knee up into Blood Hummer's thick forearm to both block and disrupt the string of punches enough so he could duck under him. Thrown off his game, Blood Hummer faltered he watched the vampire lash out with an open palm heel strike aiming straight for his unprotected abdomen. Thinking fast Deldro solidified the blood exoskeleton's torso but it only served as a thin barrier to allow the Breed to knock the wind out of Hummer still encased inside as he skidded backwards. Doubled over slightly from the blow Hummer's vulnerable state in turn caused Deldro's defenses to waver ever so slightly, which the Blood Breed and Klaus both immediately picked up on.

"Hummer, Deldro, look out!" Klaus warned as the muscle-bound vampire charged them. Catching the warning, Blood Hummer tried to pull himself together and strengthen his exoskeleton again but wasn't quite quick enough as the bulky Blood Breed drove his fist through the semi-hardened defenses just barely stopping him from reaching Hummer.

"Oh crap," the dark skinned man muttered in clear surprise as the vampire's hand tried to grab at him. Deldro/Blood Hummer struggled to keep their defenses up as he grabbed the Blood Breed and flung him back while hurrying to close the gaping hole in the exoskeleton. The Blood Breed recovered with a back flip and immediately charged the still vulnerable target. Klaus stepped in to intercept the attacking vampire but was met with a quick feint as the Breed quickly spun and sidestepped Klaus before lunging with his eyes dead set on the bigger target. He relentlessly barraged the literal two-in-one man team with a series of punches, jabs, and kicks that each struck home and started to overwhelm Blood Hummer as he tried to fight back as best he could with his own series of wild punches and heavy-handed swats. It wasn't until the Blood Breed delivered a particularly nasty hammer fist to Blood Hummer's body where Hummer's own self located inside even felt the full impact that ended the merciless barrage as he was sent hurtling back into a concrete pillar that ended up collapsing on top of him in a cloud of rubble and dust.

"How pathetic. Were you even taking our fight seriously?" the Russian-accented vampire chastised giving his downed opponent a look of disdain as Blood Hummer struggled to sit up. "You may have some considerable strength but that's really all you have. You foolishly rely on that strength so much that you leave yourself completely open and trust that that exoskeleton of yours is enough for your only means of protection. And when you start to get overwhelmed you just bet on your physical strength and lash out with random punches. You're no better than a wild animal. In fact you're such a disgrace it's a wonder how you can even call yourself a Fang Hunter especially with those laughable techniques." Both the battered Deldro and even the strained Hummer still encased in his exoskeleton gave the Breed similar looks of dislike while barely biting back a growl. Suddenly the familiar silhouette of Klaus appeared just over the Blood Breed as he wordlessly summoned his Kreuzvernichterlanze technique with every clear intention of driving it downward and impaling the bloodsucker. The Blood Breed saw his shadow and reacted at the very last second just barely avoiding getting nailed as he slid back from the sheer pressure of the resulting attack with his arms raised defensively. Klaus glared the vampire down as he merely returned the glare with an indifferent but thoughtful expression.

"You on the other hand, you're different. You have a warrior's spirit just like me and I'll be the first to admit that I admire that, Fang Hunter or not. It's almost a shame that we have to be enemies." The Blood Breed's expression then shifted into one of condescending. "Though ultimately it doesn't matter. You Huma stand no chance against us and especially not against our King and his ambitions." Klaus' eyes narrowed once more especially at the mention of the word 'King.'

"Your King you say? And what exactly are his 'ambitions' that you speak of?" He demanded. The brawny Breed regarded him for a moment before giving a crooked grin.

"Let's just say a certain Huma is going to be our ticket to humanity's eventual downfall once our King gets through with him." Realizing whom the Blood Breed was referring to and the unsaid implications behind his words, Klaus' temper and protective nature began to spike considerably as he grit his teeth baring his fang-like under bite.

"I will never allow that to happen!" Klaus declared firmly as he brandished his knuckleduster and attacked with an angry battle cry.  
_

Meanwhile, a ways outside behind the warehouse where the Libra members and Blood Breeds continued their respective battles, a manhole cover located in a nearby alley lifted up and slid open. Sonic's head peeked up and looked around before hopping out followed by Chain who leapt clear out of the hole in a single bound, Gilbert exited shortly after her before assisting four of Dr. Estevez's divided miniature selves out one at a time and Lucky who still carried the pain-wracked and barely conscious Leo on his back. Chain immediately went to the opening of the alleyway and scanned their surroundings before looking back to the rest of the crew.

"No sign of any unwanted obstacles," she reported as she and the group slowly crept into the open. The lot around them was almost entirely barren save for some abandoned and supposedly non-operational construction vehicles and machinery. "Are you sure it's a good idea to treat him on the move like this?" Chain asked looking to the four copies who checked over Leo's pulse and vitals and tried coaxing Leo into taking another painkiller, which he somehow managed to down after some effort while the worried Sonic watched.

"We need to keep Leonardo stable as best we can so that when we gain some distance away we can apply those curse-sealing bandages again," one of Dr. Estevez's clones replied as she worked. "Besides, treating people while on the move is a skill I've more or less mastered so don't worry about slowing our pace," another copy added.

"It's not you we're concerned about," Lucky clarified as he glanced back to her. "We need to keep moving so those Blood Breeds don't realize we gave them the slip. Which way is the car hidden Gilbert?"

"It is parked just over—" before Gilbert could finish his sentence, a lead pipe was thrown like a javelin down from the shadows of a nearby rooftop to their right that was still a surprising distance away piercing the Combat Butler's side as he let out a surprised and pained grunt as he dropped his pack of supplies.

"Mr. Gilbert!" Chain exclaimed as the rest of the small group looked equally shocked by the sudden assault as the older man collapsed to his one knee and clutched his side in pain while struggling to maintain a neutral demeanor. One of Dr. Estevez's clones immediately went over to Gilbert's side to assist just as Leo became a bit more cognizant of his surroundings thanks to the painkiller that started to take effect. He gazed up towards where the attack came from he began to tremble from more than just his physical discomfort upon spotting a familiar figure and distinct aura signature.

"H-He's here," Leo alerted aloud. The others glanced back to Leo questioningly before following Leo's gaze and immediately put their guards up as they saw the figure responsible for their troubles.

"That's…"

"One of the 13 Kings, the King of Pain," Lucky finished with a scowl. Said Elder Class Blood Breed stood silhouetted against the night's full moon on the rooftop of the closest building that overlooked the lot with his red eyes open wide and gleaming down at them with a wide, fanged smile.

"So you've heard of me, I'm flattered," the King of Pain sardonically replied before redirecting his attention to the pale and trembling Leo as he gazed up at him from Lucky's back with a mixture of clear distress as well as a hint of defiant aggression. "Or perhaps you were already informed of me. Nice to see you again boy. Tell me, how do you like my handiwork there? Pretty effective isn't it?" Leo grit his teeth and let out a sound of disgruntlement.

"You goddamn monster! What do have to gain by inflicting the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur on him and the other innocent people you've cursed? Just what the hell are you up to?" Lucky demanded defiantly. The vampire only blinked as he took a closer look at who spoke to him and his eyes widened slightly in recognition. His smirk fell into a neutral expression.

"I know you. You're that damned Specialist working with those blasted Fang Hunters on the Outside that annoyingly pursued me halfway around this wretched Huma realm. I have to say you're stubbornly persistent," the King of Pain said in clear annoyance before a small grin once more found his way to his face. "But no matter, you're a bit too late to do anything to stop me." Lucky gave an irritated growl.

"Answer me damn it!" he snapped. The Elder Class Breed merely gave an amused chuckle.

"You Huma can be so emotional. You'll find out what I'm after soon enough but for now let's just say the curse is…an insurance policy. I'm merely here to collect what I'm owed. And on that note," the King of Pain paused and leapt up from the rooftop he was standing on and somersaulted in the air before landing crouching down on the roof of an abandoned bulldozer just feet before them. Startled, Sonic ran away and hid behind under one of the other abandoned pieces of rusting machinery as the Blood Breed straightened up and held his hand out as if waiting to be given something. "I 'kindly' suggest you hand the All-Seeing Eyes brat over to me," he finished. Leo's breath hitched and he blanched while the others immediately got defensive.

"Not happening!" Chain declared with a firm glare. The others had similar expressions including the injured Gilbert who, as subtly as he could, reached into his pocket to pull out a set of car keys with a key fob remote attached. The Blood Breed thankfully didn't notice as he instead raised his brow at the group's defiance.

"You _really_ think you can keep him safe from me?" He questioned with a flat tone before his lips upturned in a subtle smirk. "Well, I suppose you can _try_. But don't say I didn't ask nicely." As the vampire leapt down from his perch and motioned to attack, Gilbert pressed a series of buttons on the fob remote and the sound of an engine starting with a roar and squeal of tires was heard coming from a garage unit across the way. Everyone turned their heads towards the source of the sound just as the unit's garage doors exploded out and Gilbert's Combat Car, a six-wheeled classic Nautilus customized with a skeleton bust engraved on one extended bumper and a woman's bust engraved on the other, burst through the smoke and sped towards the group. The bumper's sides where the busts were located opened up and allowed for two pronged taser-like weapons to extended out and crackle with energy and two machine gun turrets raised up from a hidden compartment on each vehicle's side.

Locking on immediately to the Blood Breed, the self-driven Nautilus opened fire with a spray of high-energy bullets that effectively blasted more than half of the unsuspecting Elder Class vampire away. In spite of this he still managed to jump clear of the vehicle's path as it barreled straight for him and nearly avoided getting impaled and electrocuted by the plasma cutter weaponry. As Gilbert's car skidded to a halt sideways about fifteen feet away from them, Gilbert straightened up and with a deep breath yanked the protruding pipe out of his side releasing a pained grunt before turning to the gathered group.

"Quickly sirs and madams, please get in." Not needing to be told twice the others ran to the vehicle. However before they could even get halfway to the vehicle, the King of Pain regenerated from his wounds almost instantly and leapt over the car cutting them off from reaching it and taking Gilbert who was in close proximity by surprise as he turned to face the bloodsucker. The King of Pain drove a hand with his long, sharp nails into the combat butler's chest piercing through it and striking his heart.

"Oh no!"

"Mr. Gilbert!" Dr. Estevez's clones exclaimed as the small group observed the fatal blow. However Gilbert's formerly stunned and injured expression changed into a fierce one as he grasped the Elder Class Blood Breed's wrist with all his strength as the flesh around the wound began to wriggle and repair itself.

"Worry not madam. As a Regenerator I cannot perish so easily, Blood Breed or no," he assured before pressing another button on the key fob he still held in his other hand. One of the machine turrets turned facing them and prepared to once more open fire on the Blood Breed. However the vampire took clear notice of this and reacted by flinging Gilbert's body into the turret with such force that it bent the turret slightly causing it to stall and malfunction with minor sparking as well as break the poor old man's back with an audible snap as he collapsed to the ground in a pained heap. The vampire then turned his attention to the small group of Libra members plus Dr. Estevez's copies who grit their teeth and assumed defensive positions.

"Looks like we don't have many other options but to fight back," Lucky said as he unhooked one arm that was supporting Leo's weight and reached into his overcoat's inner pocket pulling out a crucifix rosary made of pure silver with strange symbols etched on it as well as some paper talismans.

"Seems like it," one of Dr. Estevez's copies said as she plus the other three mirrored his actions and clutched a scalpel from their lab coat pockets. Lucky noticed the action and gave the clones an inquisitive look. However before he could question her intentions, he was interrupted as the King of Pain lunged at them with a snarl and in turn all four clones of Dr. Estevez charged wielding their scalpels that glowed with a strange energy. As the King of Pain went to slash the charging group they split up with one clone using her scalpel to slice off the vampire's extended arm. The other copies took the opportunity to slash the opponent with their own scalpels imbued with the same energy creating lines of white light over the Blood Breed's form before the clones themselves burst into a bright light and regrouped. However instead of changing back into her normal adult form she now stood in her powered up adult form with longer hair and a more mature physique as she struck the finishing blow with the collected scalpels in her hand.

"Phardem Triga!" Dr. Estevez exclaimed as the lines of light shone and the Elder Class Blood Breed was literally sliced to pieces with astounding precision.

"An excellent doctor capable of self-division _and_ a weaponized surgeon? You certainly are a woman of many talents Miss Estevez," Lucky remarked clearly impressed. Said doctor merely cast him a cheeky grin and wink before they realized with dread that even in pieces, the Blood Breed's regenerative abilities were still active as blood and sinew from each dissected limb and body part were extending out and joining with one another as he literally pulled himself together and regenerated before he stood and gave them an unimpressed stare.

"I'm growing tired of these games," the King of Pain said in a bored tone. As he calmly took a few steps forward, Lucky reacted hurling each talisman and missing horribly not even getting close to the vampire before thrusting the hand containing the rosary out in front of him like a shield.

"Stay back monster!" This caused the Elder Class Breed to pause briefly then give a hearty laugh.

"And just what is _that_ supposed to do? For a so-called Specialist you should know that typical holy charms have no affect on an Elder such as myself" He asked with a smirk.

"Oh I know it's not going to stop you. Not on it's own anyway," Lucky admitted before continuing with a smirk of his own. "I just needed to buy some time for those movement-sealing talismans I threw to charge up." Immediately the vampire's smile fell as he turned to look behind him where sure enough the paper talismans' inking began to glow a bright yellow light. He also realized each talisman was not hurled indiscriminately but strategically placed as the light extended outwards creating a pentagram-like circle that enveloped and ensnared the Blood Breed in a light yellow film. Taking that as his cue Lucky then raised the rosary out once more as the symbols on it also began to glow in unison. The King of Pain quickly found his movements essentially frozen as he grunted and struggled under the seal and rosary's effects. Lucky's smirk remained for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to Chain.

"There's no telling how long those charms will keep him bound here but it should at least buy us some time. Miss Estevez and I will do what we can to keep him contained but you need to take Leonardo, dilute yourselves and escape while you can."

"Right," Chain said nodding in understanding as she carefully assisted sliding Leo off from Lucky's back then slinging one of his arms over her shoulder as he tried his best to support his own weight under the physical strain of the active curse. "Hold tight to me if you need to," she said looking down to Leo.

"O-Okay," he replied still in clear discomfort as they slowly dissolved away. As the King of Pain observed this he felt a spike of anger flare up in him as he bared his fangs and let out a snarl.

"Don't think you'll escape me so easily. Restricted or not, there's nowhere for you to go now where I can't find you!" With that the Elder Class Blood Breed's red eyes once more began to glow. Instantly the diluted Leo felt the same foreign sensation from before flow through the curse runes and up to his eyes. He let out a pained cry in response and covered his eyes with his free hand.

"Leo what's wrong?" The diluted Chain asked as Leo fought the familiar sensation of his All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods activating but it was a losing battle as they began to grow warm in his sockets once more. With one final grunt Leo snapped his eyes open and the All-Seeing Eyes' seal-like lenses appeared over both his eyes and the Elder Class Blood Breed's eyes surprising Lucky who widened his eyes in disbelief. As the King of Pain observed through his hacked vision he easily spotted the semi-diluted but still barely visible auras of Chain and Leo as she tried to carry him as quickly away from the scene as possible. With a smirk he strained his powers a bit more causing Leo to groan and start to double over under the physical strain of his Eyes essentially working against his own will as Chain tried to urge him on.

"Come on Leo, we have to keep moving. Just hang in there." Leo made a strangled sound of pain before a second layer of seal-like lenses appeared over the first set over Leo's eyes. Before Chain could ask what he was doing, a pair of seal-like lenses appeared over Chain's eyes that in turn caused her to cry out as her vision was assaulted with nauseating hallucinations. Releasing her grip on Leo she couldn't help but slink down onto her knees and clutch her eyes as she tried to regain her bearings and they both rematerialized catching Lucky's attention as he looked back to notice that they had barely gone more than a couple yards away. Realization slowly dawned on Lucky as his eyes widened even more.

"It can't be. Don't tell me that he…" Unfortunately he was so lost in thought that the Elder Class Blood Breed saw this as his opportunity and broke off the power flowing through the curse and focused all of his strength into his own being as he fought against the sealing talismans' power. His crimson aura flared out dangerously as sparks began to fly from the coating of light entrapping the Blood Breed before the paper talismans promptly lost their power and burst into flames freeing the vampire from its power. Immediately he rushed towards the distracted Lucky causing Dr. Estevez to shout out to him in alarm.

"Mr. Abrams look out!" The warning came just in time as Lucky turned his attention back to the monster before him and he just barely avoided getting gored with a swipe of the King of Pain's nails. However, it didn't stop the Blood Breed from making contact with the enchanted rosary as the clash of powers of both blessed item and damned Alterworldly being caused the rosary to go flying out of Lucky's hand. Through an incredible amount of luck it impaled a control panel of an abandoned but somehow still functioning backhoe. Against all odds (or perhaps as a result of something else) the vibrating and malfunctioning vehicle shifted from park to neutral on its own and it began to lumber forward heading straight for the unsuspecting Lucky and Dr. Estevez who were preoccupied with keeping the vampire away from the recovering Leo with another enchanted rosary and scalpels respectively as they worked together to try and corral the vampire into a corner.

It wasn't until the machine somehow managed to pick up its pace on the slight incline the lot was located on that the three finally noticed they were in its path. The King of Pain reacted quickly and instinctually moved out of the way leaving the two Huma behind. Before Lucky could even think of what to do, a large, winged Alterworldly creature looking like a cross between a pterodactyl and an octopus inexplicably came out of nowhere and slammed into the construction vehicle before it dazedly flew away knocking it off course from mowing over Lucky and instead sent it towards Dr. Estevez's direction. She narrowly jumped out of the vehicle's path in time but because of the momentum the backhoe absorbed from the impact of the creature, a couple of rusted screws broke off keeping the backhoe's crane fixed in place as the hydraulics gave out and the crane rotated out blindsiding the unsuspecting Dr. Estevez. She let out a huff of air as the wind was knocked out of her from the contact of the metal arm and hard collision of the dirt dropping her scalpels in the process. Her powered up and mature form also faded and she reverted back into her usual shorthaired adult form as she groaned from the hard hit and likely bruised ribs she acquired as a result.

"Miss Estevez!" Lucky exclaimed before he too was blindsided, this time by the King of Pain who easily grabbed and hefted the man over his shoulder and sent him sprawling against the side of an abandoned construction forklift, denting the vehicle and knocking the wind out of him as he dropped his rosary in the process. Panting and visibly fatigued from the exertion of energy from both forcefully manipulating Leo's eyes through the curse and breaking free of the sealing talismans, the King of Pain silently redirected his gaze back to the downed Leo who was struggling to his hands and knees as he looked over to the recovering Chain.

"Chain I-I'm so sorry. I s-swear it wasn't me. I'd never want to…" Leo apologized as she slowly recollected herself as she pulled her hands away and gave the distraught youth the best reassuring grin she could.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "Come on, we've got to get out of here while we still can." However before she could fully rise off her knees to assist Leo, the King of Pain got in between them and easily dispatched Chain with a swift kick to the gut as she let out a grunt and was sent flying and rolling across the dirt and colliding into a group of abandoned oil drums.

"Chain!" Leo exclaimed in worry before realizing that the Elder Class Blood Breed was menacingly bearing down on him with a fanged smirk.

"Looks like you're all out of friends boy." Leo let out a gasp and tried to clumsily scramble away backwards as the vampire reached out for him. Suddenly, Sonic darted forward out of nowhere and in an uncharacteristic display of daring, launched himself at the Blood Breed with an angry series of chatters. Mildly surprised, the Elder Class Blood Breed was briefly caught off guard as Sonic scratched and grabbed fistfuls of long black hair pulling as hard as he could while swiftly avoiding the vampire's clutches.

"Sonic?" Leo mumbled in surprise at the gutsy little primate. Unfortunately it didn't last long as even with Sonic's speed, the King of Pain regained his composure and easily caught the little monkey causing him to squeak and quake in obvious distress and fear.

"Pesky little vermin," he growled before chucking the little monkey away like a baseball. Chain winced as she tried to recover from the hard impact before she noticed the incoming Sonic and reacted quickly by safely catching the dazed simian, who had swirls in his large eyes, in her arms. The Elder Class Blood Breed then turned back to Leo and wrapped a hand around his throat and lifted him up off the ground while being careful not to cut of his breathing entirely. Leo let out a strangled sound as he tried to kick and struggle out of the bloodsucker's grasp as his hands flew up the Blood Breed's to pry them off as his heart hammered painfully against his ribcage in fright. After a brief moment of observing the struggling lad, the King of Pain cracked a small grin.

"I'll give them some credit, those Fang Hunters complicated things more than I thought they would. But in the end it simply wasn't enough to save you; just like I knew it wouldn't be. But don't worry; I still don't plan on killing you right away. In fact, the fun I have in store for you is only just getting started." Leo shook like a leaf between the strain of the curse and the anxiety coursing through his veins as he glanced at the smirking Blood Breed.

At that moment an explosion of concrete and dust billowed out from the side of the warehouse's building behind them as the body of the burly, blonde-haired Blood Breed came rolling to a halt as he regenerated from a series of apparently brutal injuries. The two other Blood Breeds followed out through the massive hole also injured but not nearly as bad as their counterpart as they took defensive stances facing the clearly irate Klaus. However as the Libra leader's eyes drifted up from the defensive Blood Breeds he took notice of the new scene before him and instantly his ferocious expression dissolved into a look of panic as a sharp gasp escaped him. Steven, K.K., Zapp, Zed and even the reverted Hummer and Deldro also appeared behind the larger man looking a bit worse for wear as well when they saw the same scene Klaus did: Gilbert, Dr. Estevez, Lucky and Chain down for the count and struggling to get back up as Leo hung in the literal clutches of another strong looking Blood Breed. They too quickly felt their stomachs sink.

"Leonardo!" Klaus exclaimed catching the Elder Class Blood Breed's attention as he turned his head towards the rest of the Libra members. The King of Pain gave a smug smirk in response to the horrified expressions the other Libra members had as the other Blood Breeds, realizing their efforts weren't in vain, quickly retreated to his side.

"Well, well. Isn't this a pretty picture," he quipped letting Leo dangle in his grasp as he let out a strained sound of distress.

"Release him! NOW!" Klaus demanded aggressively brandishing his knuckleduster. The other Libra members also got into similar battle ready stances.

"Now why would I go and do that after all the work it took for me to get my hands on him?" The King of Pain dismissed nonchalantly. Realization slowly dawned on the group as they realized that they weren't dealing with just any Blood Breed.

"You're the King of Pain, aren't you? One of the 13 Kings in this city," Steven declared with a set glare.

"Guilty as charged," the Elder Class Blood Breed replied with a mocking bow. "Pleased to finally make your acquaintance members of Libra."

"Screw off you cocky prick!" Zapp snarled as he clutched the hilt of his blood sword tightly with both hands in clear preparation of an attack. However the Elder Class Blood Breed just held up Leo's limp form in response as if he was showing off a new toy.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you," the King of Pain warned in a mildly chipper tone as he slightly tightened his grip on Leo's throat to prove his point making him choke and gasp. Getting the message, Zapp reluctantly held himself back as he and the others let out frustrated growls. Mortification washed over Leo as he felt helpless yet again in the face of certain danger. To make matters worse, he was beginning to feel the effects of the painkiller given to him by Dr. Estevez wear off again. His limbs started to slowly become heavier as sharper twangs of pain shot through his body as his spasms became more sporadic. Klaus must have noticed this as well as he immediately reeled himself in and tried to calmly assess the situation as best he could.

"What is it exactly that you're after?" Klaus questioned after a short beat fighting hard to keep his voice as flat and neutral as possible. The King of Pain studied the larger man's grim expression for a minute before giving a wry smile.

"You really want to know? Very well, I suppose I've kept you all in the dark long enough," he replied as Klaus and the other fighters as well as the slowly recovering Gilbert, Lucky, Dr. Estevez and Chain focused their attention on him. "It's actually quite a simple wish really. What I desire is…a utopia." Not expecting such an answer, the rest of Libra could only listen in surprise as the vampire continued.

"That's right; it's not too much to ask for is it? A place where Blood Breeds can live and do as they please as the superior beings they are. Can you imagine what it's like for such powerful and noble beings such as our kind to be forced to either hide in the Eternal Hollow or blend in with such pathetic creatures such as you Huma and the other Alterworldly scum that exist on this plane? Why should _we_ be denied our peace while the other lowly beings from both sides be allowed to do as they please?"

"Cut the bullshit!" Lucky growled in clear upset as he along with Gilbert, Dr. Estevez and Chain slowly sat up. "If peace was actually what you monsters wanted then you would have at least _tried_ to meet humanity halfway. Instead you needlessly slaughtered countless innocent people over the course of several decades and I'm sure even beyond that. And even if you _did_ want to live an undisturbed life then you all could have easily gone back to the Alterworld and lived in a more remote location there. No one was stopping you from doing that but don't justify your actions as something tragic, necessary or noble!" he huffed as they slowly got to their feet. The King of Pain merely upturned his nose at the riled up older man.

"And why should _we_ have to compromise with your kind?" he replied adamantly. "That would be like the equivalent of a predator asking the prey for their consent to be eaten. We are the more superior race. Genetically speaking we have evolved beyond mortal limitations and are better than you Huma in every conceivable way so why should we have to lower ourselves to your standards when we can just take what we want? And what we want is free reign over a place where we can live comfortably. A place where there's no shortage of prey or entertainment. A place that resides as a pinnacle for both worlds that we can dominate. A place where I can rule as king. A place…just like this city." The Libra members' expressions instantly grew dark and serious.

"And Leonardo? What role does he play in that?" Klaus questioned. The King of Pain cast the barely conscious male in his clutches a quick look as he had perked up slightly in obvious albeit fearful curiosity. The Elder Class Blood Breed then redirected his slit-eyed gaze back to Klaus and the rest of Libra and a sinister fanged smile made his way to his face.

"I think you all know the answer to that," he prefaced as he repositioned Leo so that the vampire was clutching him around the back of the neck rather than his throat and turning him so that he faced the Libra members. A small sense of foreboding started to form in the pit of each Libra members' stomachs. "The All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods is admittedly the most daunting obstacle I, along with any other Blood Breed for that matter, would be reluctant to encounter. Even more so than you Fang Hunters as mildly formidable as you might be. So when I discovered the holder of the All-Seeing Eyes was nothing more than an unassuming Huma whelp, I decided to act accordingly," the King of Pain chuckled and brought up his free hand and flexed it. Almost instantly the muscles twitched and grew morphing into a large, red, demonic-looking clawed hand. All of Libra tensed as he deliberately poised his sharpened claws over Leo's exposed jugular as the curse runes continued to mildly pulsate over his body.

"I could have killed him the first time I found him alone and unprotected. I could have gotten to him in his sleep and ripped out his blasted eyes and still beating heart. Hell, I could _easily_ rip out his throat right here and have you all watch him bleed out until he is nothing but a lifeless corpse." He emphasized this by tracing his claws lightly over his throat drawing the faintest trickles of blood in the process and reveled in the pure panic that flashed in their eyes as well as Leo whose breathing and heart rate sped up instantly over the simple motion. His smirk grew wider for a split second before forcing it back into a controlled frown.

"But I won't," he simply stated surprising the group once more as he pulled his hand away from Leo's throat and it changed back to normal. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of confrontation with you Fang Hunters. But I realized that in doing so it would have only complicated things for me. The last thing I need is to be constantly pursued for petty acts of vengeance while you interfere with my plans. God knows I encountered enough of that from the damned Specialist there," he said gesturing over to Lucky with a slight jerk of his head. "And if I wanted to create a utopia for Blood Breeds, I needed to ensure my future kingdom would be free of opposition. Then that was when something occurred to me: why destroy the All-Seeing Eyes when I can just _use_ them?" The small pit of unease now grew and sat heavy in their guts as Klaus and the other member's expressions morphed from distrustful confusion back to agitated understanding.

"Is that why you placed the curse on him then? To force our compliance?" Klaus questioned gripping his weapon tightly.

"Well, yes and no," the Blood Breed admitted with a small grin. "Though it would be foolish if I were to tell you _everything_ I was planning. Let's just say I have big things in store for him as well as this city. Which reminds me, we're running a bit behind schedule now so we really should wrap this up." He then propped Leo under his arm as he tried in vain to move his heavy limbs in a futile attempt to fight back and wriggle out of his grasp. Klaus and the others observed this and subconsciously took a step forward, feeling the overwhelming need to act. However they restrained themselves as best they could from doing anything rash and endangering Leo further as the infuriating Elder Class Vampire spoke again.

"Out of common courtesy I'll say it to you in the most simple of terms: either you allow myself and the Blood Breeds that swear their allegiance and loyalty to me to do as they please in this city or…" The King of Pain paused dramatically before continuing with a dark undertone that assured he meant every word. "Oppose me and the boy dies and you lose the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods forever." The team grit their teeth and uttered a low growl.

"Even if we did decide to agree to your terms, how do we know for sure that you won't go back on your word or that you'll even release him or keep him alive once you get whatever it is you need him for?" Steven snarled.

"You don't. But then again, are you _really_ willing to take that chance to call my bluff even if it means losing his precious eyes?" More frustrated growls followed causing the King of Pain to give a triumphant smirk. "I'll also tell you this: I've already amassed quite a decent number of Blood Breed supporters besides these three and I'm sure over time more will wise up and join us. So if you behave rashly or fight against either myself or my followers, trust me I _will_ know about it. The choice is yours Libra. You have 24 hours to give me your formal surrender and resign yourself to the fate of the inevitable future." With that last sentence he leapt backwards in a startling display of athletic grace onto the roof of the now dead backhoe to gain some ground before he unfurled his large red and leathery wings from under his long coat.

"No!" Klaus exclaimed as panic shot through him and the others as they finally reacted and charged forward. Lucky, Chain and Dr. Estevez also darted forward in an attempt to catch him from all sides. However the three other Blood Breeds intercepted and blocked them from pursuing by dissipating themselves into a massive flurry of bats that encircled and protected the Elder Class Blood Breed as he spread his wings to take flight. In that split second before Leo was airborne, time seemed to slow down briefly as he and Klaus' eyes met and Klaus could clearly see the fear and desperation etched on Leo's face as he silently and wordlessly pleaded for help.

Time then resumed its normal pace and the King of Pain shot upwards into the air with a mighty flap of his wings with the helpless Leo in tow as the swirling mass of bats trailed shortly behind him. Instinctively K.K. trained her pistols on the fleeing Blood Breeds but before she could get a single shot off they had gotten too far out of range for her bullets to reach. The group could only watch in dismay and shout out Leo's name as they disappeared further into the night sky and the full weight of what just happened started to sink in.

Leo was gone. They had failed.  
_

Author's Notes: Apologies to everyone for the longer wait with this chapter, hopefully the length and content makes up for it. Writing the multiple fight scenes was difficult and extremely time-consuming (not to mention I still suck at writing action sequences so I had to work extra long and hard to come up with something semi-decent) but hopefully they turned out okay. I also took a few more liberties in this chapter mainly regarding the snippet from Leo's past, Lucky's combat techniques, and fudging Chain's dilution capabilities (if she can dilute objects like a gun or Zed's breathing pods along with herself, why not other people even if it is to the most basic degree) but in retrospect I think it works out fairly well.

Before I go on with my usual spiel I want to announce that unfortunately the next few chapters are going to take longer than usual to come out (like maybe the same amount of time it took this chapter or possibly longer). I don't want to say I'll be going on hiatus necessarily but between the current workload with my job, events going on in my personal life and with the fact we are getting into the real crux of the story, I am going to have to take a lot of time to carefully prepare and write out what comes next. I am also still on the fence about how I want the story's climax to go down but the good news is that if I'm thinking of doing my current choice I might, MIGHT, consider possibly doing a sequel. But it's too soon to tell at this point and the climax itself is going to be taking up most of my attention as it is likely going to be just as difficult and time-consuming as this chapter, if not more so. With that in mind I ask you all to please be patient with me.

As for this chapter, a lot has happened. With the curse not only active once more but also apparently evolving and Pain's ambitions revealed, what is going to happen to Leo now that he is in the Elder Breed's clutches? What is going on with the curse exactly and more importantly, what are Klaus and the others going to do now?! Big thanks to soaringsky1398, WhiteLightning174, fluffsterzz, Rosalix Archangel, Laialy, and Slim Sketchy for following and favoriting this story and an extra special thank you to Rosalix Archangel and Laialy for taking the time to leave a review! I know I said this before but your support keeps me motivated to see this story through to the end! Again, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up but I hope you all will bear with me while I try and get things worked out. Until next time!


	7. Deal With the Devil

Chapter 7: Deal With the Devil

Some time later, the team reconvened back at the office. No one had said a word during the somber ride back. Not even Zapp had bothered to make any snappy comebacks as they were all too lost in their own thoughts or frustration. Dr. Estevez had taken the time to patch up their injuries and wounds from their respective battles against the Blood Breeds before she was urged by Klaus and Steven to return to the hospital while they deliberated on what to do next. She nodded in understanding and merely gave the Libra leader a reassuring pat on his broad shoulder before taking her leave. Now Zapp, Zed, Lucky, K.K., Chain, Hummer and Deldro sat on the office's two couches with Sonic perched sulking on one of the armrests. Klaus stood in front of his desk just before everyone seated on the couches with Steven standing by his side and Gilbert (who was still sore from having his broken back mended by Dr. Estevez) stood off to the side to await further instruction. Klaus took a moment to gather his thoughts and let out a soft sigh before he addressed the group collectively.

"I understand we're all feeling a little despondent over the recent events that took place regarding Leonardo's abduction," Klaus prefaced. "However, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will _not_ allow those Blood Breeds to do as they please." The group perked up a little bit upon hearing this as defiant expressions made their way to each of their faces.

"Damn straight!" Zapp replied firmly as he pounded a fist on the armrest next to Sonic, who flinched at the unexpected motion and jumped down from the couch and onto Klaus' desk. "If those goddamn freaks think they won, they've got another thing coming!" Zed and Chain wordlessly nodded for once agreeing whole-heartedly with the white-haired male's words.

"So what's the plan Klausie?" K.K. questioned looking to the Brain Grid user.

"First we need to ascertain where the King of Pain has taken Leonardo," Klaus began before he trailed off looking grimly thoughtful. "However…" Steven caught on to what he was thinking and finished his sentence.

"However if we assume that the King of Pain was in fact telling the truth about having gathered other Blood Breeds aside from the three we encountered, we'll have to meticulously plan things out. One wrong move on our part and the kid could pay the price. And with how well they hid themselves before, time is something we don't have much of." That grim reminder caused the team to immediately lose a bit of their fire and K.K. couldn't help but shoot Steven a dirty glare.

"Would it kill you to be a little more tactful Starphase?"

"I'm only being realistic," Steven replied with a slight sweatdrop. It was at that moment that Deldro of all people spoke up after having been unusually quiet since his and Hummer's bout with the burly Blood Breed.

"One thing that I still can't get over though is _how_ those freaking Blood Breeds found us in the first place. I mean we were hiding as far out of sight as one can think of and somehow they managed to figure out where to find us pretty damn fast."

"That's actually a pretty good question," Hummer chimed in. Remembering what happened prior during the encounter in the warehouse's lot, Lucky jolted a little.

"Actually…I think I might have some additional and unsettling information about that." The others warily looked to him and allowed him to elaborate. "Back during our strategic retreat away from the warehouse I had managed to bind the King of Pain's movements to allow for Leonardo's escape. However in a move I didn't expect, that bastard somehow managed to not only force Leo's All-Seeing Eyes to activate on their own but control them to a certain extent." The wary looks immediately shifted into expressions of disbelief.

"You _can't_ be freakin' serious!" Zapp exclaimed as the group exchanged various looks of dread.

"That explains a lot," Chain muttered as the pieces clicked together for her as she thought back to how she had her senses assaulted by Leo's eyes before something else occurred to her and she voiced it aloud. "Come to think of it, didn't the same thing happen too back in the safe house when he had those specialized bandages on?"

"That's right. It might be a bit of a stretch but if I had to speculate, I'd say that the King of Pain has somehow learned to tap into power of the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur in order to force it to carry out certain commands." The assembled Libra members were silent for a moment to let the new information sink in before Lucky spoke again gaining their attention once more. "However there is a silver lining. From what I also observed it seems that doing this apparently causes him a great deal of strain and he doesn't seem to be able to maintain the connection for a prolonged period of time."

"At least there's that," Zed conceded with a light sigh before looking back to Klaus and Steven. "But even with that small vulnerability, how are we going to track down and rescue Leo without alerting the Blood Breeds as to what we are planning?" The group once more went silent in contemplation before Chain spoke up.

"If it's information gathering then I can easily slip past detection on most levels to carry it out. I can get back in touch with the Werewolf Bureau and put in a favor to help scope out the city undetected," Chain suggested.

"Not a bad idea but even with their help the city is too big for five Invisible Werewolves to cover. Not to mention even if you found a lead we could use there would likely be little time for us to act appropriately," Steven pointed out.

"Maybe some of us can act as a decoy to mislead and draw out the Blood Breed's forces and then we can track them back to their source," K.K. suggested.

"Too reckless. Even if we don't directly engage the Blood Breeds, doing so will only further endanger Leonardo's safety should the King of Pain realize what we're up to," Lucky countered.

"Shit! This is getting us no where!" Zapp growled ruffling his hair in irritation. "The longer we're here talking things out instead of taking action, there's no telling what those goddamn bloodsuckers could be doing."

"I understand your frustration Zapp, trust me I do, but we have to be careful in our judgment. For Leo's sake we can't afford to underestimate our opponents again," Klaus reasoned.

"Maybe if we could somehow dig up some useful information on how the King of Pain is planning on operating next then we could narrow down the search area to a more manageable grid and come up with some effective countermeasures," Steven speculated aloud.

"But how can we do that?" Hummer inquired. Just then the TV hanging from the ceiling turned on by itself and a familiar mask covered face graced the screen.

"Well hello there boys and girls of Libra. Did you all miss me? It's me, the King of—" Steven took the liberty of quickly shutting the TV off with the remote on Klaus' desk as he and the others just stared at the TV with deadpanned expressions at the unexpected and unwelcome interruption. However it wasn't long before the TV again turned itself back on once more. "DID YOU JUST TURN ME OFF WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY INTRODUCTION? That's just plain rude!" The King of Depravity huffed.

"Piss off already," Zapp growled. "We're not in the mood to deal with you and your shitty games."

"Oh really?" Femt snapped. "Well fortunately for you I'm actually not here for games for once. Instead I'd like to offer you all a special proposition."

"A proposition?" Chain repeated in confusion.

"And what kind of proposition could you possibly think we'd be interested in?" Steven questioned distrustfully.

"Oh I don't know, maybe information regarding a certain Blood Breed that managed to outwit you all and make off a certain squinty-eyed brat," Femt replied feigning disinterest as he checked his gloved nails. The Libra team straightened up almost immediately.

"How do you know about that?" Klaus questioned with narrowed eyes.

"I have my sources," Femt replied dismissively. "But as for the proposition itself I believe it would be best to discuss things in person. And before you go asking your terribly clichéd lines such as: 'why should we trust you.' consider the alternative should you decide to decline my humble invitation. Can't imagine it would be the wisest decision on your part. But whatever, if you refuse it's no skin off my nose. Just thought I'd give you the option of a level playing field. Though if you are interested, and I'm almost certain you are, you'll know where to find me. Toodles!" With that the TV shut off once more on its own as Libra stared in confusion at the screen. A second later a small wormhole appeared and opened up above Klaus' desktop startling Sonic. He flinched and scrambled off the desk and onto Klaus' shoulder as a small elegant envelope fell through and landed on the desktop and the wormhole closed up and disappeared. Klaus warily eyed the envelope for a moment before picking it up and turning it over in his hand.

"Careful, it could be a trap," Lucky warned as Klaus cautiously broke the seal and took out a folded sheet of paper, which once unfolded revealed a hand drawn map that had directions scrawled on it along with several cartoonish doodles of Femt highlighting specific instructions as multiple arrows pointed to the supposed final destination. Steven leaned over to observe as well before taking the paper from him and glancing over it for himself.

"Do you think he was serious?" Zed questioned.

"Of course not. This is the King of Depravity we're talking about here. He's probably just setting this all up as a way to screw with us, the bastard," Zapp replied. Klaus however didn't seem convinced as Steven could clearly see the wheels in his head turning as he stared at the 'invitation.'

"Klaus, you're not actually considering taking up that lunatic's offer are you?" Steven questioned warily.

"I understand it's a risk," Klaus conceded. "The King of Depravity is not to be trusted any more than the King of Pain or any of the other 13 Kings for that matter. However, what other options do we have left? If we decline the offer extended to us and we try to come up with a plan of action to act upon on our own, Leonardo could suffer greatly from our actions or inactions regardless of how we proceed. If the King of Depravity truly has any useful information that we can use against the King of Pain then we should at least hear out what he has to say."

"Not that I don't see your reasoning Klausie but for all we know, the King of Depravity could be working _with_ the King of Pain and this could just be an elaborate ruse to lure us out and exterminate us," K.K. reasoned.

"That's a good point," Chain piped up. "After all, they _are_ under the same faction so it wouldn't be unusual if they were working together."

"Then we'll just have to prepare accordingly," Lucky cut in. "Look Klaus is right. If we can get some kind of lead either on whatever the King of Pain is planning or Leonardo's location out of it then I say we go for it. And even if the worst case should happen and it turns out to be a trap or act of deception after all, going by your logic Chain if we can get our hands on the King of Depravity maybe we can strong arm some answers out of him or maybe even force him to get the King of Pain to submit somehow. Either way, sitting around here and doing nothing will definitely not help save Leonardo or stop that blasted Blood Breed from creating his 'utopia,'" The group exchanged various looks ranging from mild hesitation to general understanding before finally nodding in full agreement.

"Then I guess our minds have been made up," Steven said with a small sigh. "Even so, we should be smart about this. Klaus, Mr. Abrams and I will go and meet the King of Depravity for our little chat. Everyone else will lie in wait at a distance and be ready to act should things go south. Be on your guard no matter what may happen. Let's head out!" With that the Libra team turned and headed out the doors to mobilize feeling slightly more motivated than usual.  
_

After a short but winding trip through the city's back roads the group arrived at their final destination: a public amusement park along the banks of one of the city's major rivers. Klaus, Steven and Lucky looked up at the amusement park's neon sign in contemplation.

"Kind of figures this would be the sort of location the King of Depravity would want to meet of all places," Steven deadpanned.

"At least there aren't a lot of people around that could get caught up in the chaos if there's a fight," Lucky said as he scoped out their surroundings.

"Is everyone in position?" Klaus communicated through his earpiece as Sonic observed the larger man still positioned on his shoulder.

"The fish and I are all set Chief," Zapp's voice came through on the other end.

"We're in position too," Chain's voice reported next as she and Hummer and Deldro exchanged silent glances.

"And so am I," K.K. finally replied.

"Excellent," Klaus responded. "Be ready to act at a moment's notice or should we give the signal."

"Roger," the team replied before Klaus nodded to Lucky and Steven. Together the three entered through the entrance and made their way down the wide walkway while keeping their guards up. As they approached the amusement park's main plaza near the foot of the Ferris wheel they finally took notice of two familiar figures causing Sonic to tremble slightly and dart off to hide.

"Ah, so you _did_ decide to show up after all," Femt replied clad in a black buttoned up overcoat instead of his usual attire as well as sporting a top hat and cane for some odd reason.

"Damn, guess I owe you ten zeros," Aligula remarked. She immediately went into a pale pink purse that was slung over her shoulder, instantly putting the three Libra members on guard, only to pull out a ten-dollar bill and handed it over to Femt.

"Thank you," Femt declared with a cheeky grin and overly chipper tone as he pocketed the money in his coat's inner chest pocket. However he observed the three members and frowned slightly. "What, its just you three? That's not very sportsman-like you know."

"If a discussion was what you wanted then you should be happy we even showed up at all," Steven couldn't help but snap. Femt however did not seem fazed by the show of hostility.

"Like you honestly would have turned me down. Given on how you even bothered to show up regardless of the risks, I'm sure you must probably be pretty desperate." Steven and Lucky's expressions darkened slightly while Klaus somehow managed to stay relatively neutral in spite of his own irritation. "Regardless, I believe my invitation was for _all_ of Libra." Femt trailed off and Aligula seemed to pick up on his cue as she pulled out a small remote and pressed a button. Before Klaus, Steven and Lucky could even react, another wormhole opened up hovering a few feet beyond them in the air and Zapp, Zed, K.K., Hummer and Deldro and Chain fell through and landed in a heap with the latter landing nimbly on top of the literal pile of members and with Zapp at the bottom as the wormhole disappeared.

"What the hell just happened?" K.K. questioned clutching her rifle in evident surprise after Chain leapt off of them.

"Who cares? Just get offa me already!" Zapp retorted through grit teeth as he struggled out from under everyone else.

"Man that was trippy," Hummer couldn't help but declare as he brushed himself off. Aligula squealed the moment she laid her eye on Hummer and Deldro.

"OMG, you're here too babe! I knew you couldn't stay away!" She exclaimed in her usual lovesick demeanor. Realizing where they were, the rest of the group quickly recovered and scrambled to their feet as they whipped out their weapons and immediately got into defensive stances taking several steps back to regroup with Klaus, Steven and Lucky. The three men were no better as they too followed suit and got into battle ready stances prepared for the worst possible outcome especially when Aligula started to take off towards them. However to their collective surprise, Femt grabbed the back of her collar and halted her in her tracks as she outstretched her arms towards Hummer and Deldro in clear desire.

"Normally I don't care when you cause trouble but try to restrain yourself this time Aligula. Remember why we're here," Femt urged as he pulled her back.

"WHAT?" Aligula replied looking back to him clearly disgruntled with the suggestion. Femt however just returned the stare with an unreadable but clearly firm expression. After a moment of the two Beyondians staring at each other Aligula clicked her tongue. "Tch, fine!" she relented as she puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms across her chest much like a spoiled child pouting. More or less satisfied with the response he then looked back to the still clearly on edge Libra members.

"Tsk, tsk. Stationing your members nearby to watch over our proceedings. It's almost as if you don't trust little ol' me." The others merely continued to glare at him still on high alert. "Oh will you all relax. If I had _wanted_ to stir up any sort of trouble don't you think I would have already done so by now? Though believe me, in all honesty I would love nothing more than to engage in our usual nonsensical games but this time I assure you my intentions are…decent-ish."

"Decent-ish?" Lucky repeated incredulously. "You've never done anything except endanger innocent people for your deranged entertainment."

"And your point is?" Femt questioned unabashed. This seemed to irritate everyone including Lucky but before he could tear into him, Klaus silently placed a hand on his shoulder in a silent urge to stop. He studied the Alterworldly maniac for a moment before he spoke.

"What exactly is your goal in meeting with us?" Klaus questioned with eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You said you had information regarding the King of Pain correct?"

"That's right."

"Then why would you be willing to help us? He's one of the members in the faction you lead so why would you provide information that could potentially oust him." Femt was silent for a moment as he tapped his fingers on his cane's handle before he replied.

"I do what I want and my reasons are my own," he replied semi-curtly. "But let's just say he and I have conflicting interests." The Libra members raised their brows in confusion as Femt elaborated with a small frown. "That up-start Blood Breed doesn't understand the first thing about nonsense yet he thinks he can just usurp my throne and do whatever he pleases in _my_ playground. I'm not particularly one to get caught up in the matters of others but when my own affairs are jeopardized as a result then I can't help but react accordingly. Besides, he may be one of my kinsmen so to speak but in all honesty I can't stand him, regardless of his overall potential as a formidable ally, and I absolutely refuse to share my kingdom with him!"

"Funny, but if I recall correctly you didn't seem to have an issue with allowing the King of Despair to nearly cause the second Great Collapse that could have potentially destroyed the city," Steven remarked. Femt stopped tapping his fingers as his expression turned a bit thoughtful thinking back to the events that lead up to said event. He was silent for another moment before he spoke and when he did his voice was unnaturally placid.

"Do you know what the difference between depravity, despair and pain is?" He questioned. "Depravity is when you allow moral corruption to take over and run wild. The line between right and wrong is nonexistent and irrelevant. You don't give a damn about the consequences nor do you care what consequences befall others; you just want to sit back watch shit hit the fan and maybe even stir something up to achieve that. Despair on the other hand is born from a lack or absence of faith, which can often lead to actions that one may never resort to regardless of their intentions or beliefs."

"It's true that I allowed for Despair to carry out his plans for the second Great Collapse, mainly because it provided reasonable entertainment for my end, but he was only doing so to fill a void. What that void was I can't exactly say I care to know but I knew he wasn't serious about what he was doing, not entirely. He left far too many open ends to allow for hope to return, which in all honesty made for a much more interesting way to spice up his little game. That's all this wretched life is after all, a game in which we are nothing but pawns in. While he wasn't quite as nonsensical as I was, I still respected what he brought to the table." Klaus and the rest of Libra were a bit taken aback at Femt's surprisingly earnest and out of character speech but before they could say anything Femt continued with a slight bite to his words as a small frown made his way to his formerly thoughtful expression.

"Pain on the other hand is indifferent with whom he inflicts his suffering on regardless of whether they are friend or foe. And don't get me wrong I love sadistic, homicidal tendencies as much as the next madman but with him there is just no _fun_ in it. It's all done for the sake of his own selfish ambitions and it's so one-sided that it's overly droll and boring to watch. What fun is a game if you can't give your opponents the chance to try and turn things around?"

"…So you're only offering to help us as a way to spite the King of Pain. Is that it?" Lucky questioned.

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Femt replied with a casual shrug. "Not to mention if you all were to lose your favorite little game piece causing chaos in this city wouldn't be quite as entertaining for me either. After all, his reactions have become some of the best parts of the little games I come up with for you Libra tightwads."

"I made a playlist of all his best freakouts and screams back home," Aligula offhandedly remarked with a smirk looking to her taller cohort.

"Ooh you don't say," Femt replied regaining his usual manic energy. "Remind me to watch it when we get back. I bet there are some real knee-slappers in there."

"BE SERIOUS!" Lucky, Steven and even Zapp couldn't help but snap simultaneously as the rest just glared disapprovingly at him. Femt quickly regained his composure and looked back to the rest of the Libra team.

"Look, the point is that I'm willing to call a temporary ceasefire to take care of our mutual problem. I know how he works better than anyone and I think I have a few ideas as to where he could be operating from and it would be beneficial for both of us if he were to disappear. You know what they say; the enemy of my enemy is my fiend, or something like that. Besides, I'd like to think that _I'm_ the only sadistic ruler this city needs."

"While I highly disagree with your last statement, I won't deny I do see the logic behind your reasoning," Klaus began. "However given your past actions I still find it hard to trust you completely. What guarantee do we have that you won't go back on your word if things take a sudden or unfavorable turn?" Femt merely let out a harsh, barking laugh.

"I think you and I both know that I can't guarantee a damn thing. If you don't want to trust me then don't. I have my own ways of dealing with Pain if it comes down to it and I didn't need to come out here or suggest an alliance. But if you're that hung up on such small details then that's on you." Femt briefly turned on his heels with Aligula still silently observing them. "I can just as easily return home and watch how the situation between you all plays out or maybe go watch some mindless television," he stopped and turned his direction over to a large television stand in one of the amusement park's stalls. "Then again it doesn't seem like there's anything decent on anyway."

Curious at what the eccentric Alterworldly madman was getting at, Klaus and the other Libra members followed his gaze and saw that a live news report was airing from somewhere within the city. A newswoman was hunkered down behind a van as the background showed a mass of people running either away or into nearby buildings for cover as a number of unseen forces was apparently ransacking the city. Cars were being crushed and flipped, buildings and sidewalks were cracking as slashes and craters were forming seemingly out of no where and the few unfortunate people who straggled behind fell victim to whatever was preying on them as they were lifted into the air and feasted on or dragged away out of sight.

"…We have no idea where these creatures came from or what they are exactly but they have been reported swarming several parts of the city," a newswoman reported before the cameraman's lens caught the image of one of a fleeing man that passed by closest to them as something unseen caught and tore into him spilling blood onto the streets. The newswoman barely suppressed a horrified shriek at the sight but continued in a more quiet tone.

"T-There's at least more than a dozen here on Old Park Avenue alone and their numbers are said to be slowly increasing by the hour as reports are still coming in all over the city. Local police and law enforcement are currently mobilized to try and engage the threat but…" she stopped and held a hand up to her earpiece as she apparently received some sort of new information. "What? What do you mean you can't see what we're talking about? How can you not see—" before she could continue, the van they took cover behind began to rock back and forth causing the camera to pan up. One of the supposed creatures had apparently landed on top of the van and while it couldn't be seen it was definitely heard. It snarled low and menacingly before breaking off into a roar as the camera suddenly dropped. The newswoman and cameraman's screams could be heard as a splatter of blood appeared on the ground and covering the lens just before the camera's live feed cut off. Perturbed looks graced each of the Libra members.

"Those creatures that reporter was referring to," Zed began. "Don't tell me they were—"

"Blood Breeds, without a doubt," Lucky gravely stated.

"More than a dozen of them? How can there be that many of them at once?" Chain replied in mild shock.

"It seems that Pain is already allowing his pawns to make their first move, which could prove to be a considerable problem for the All-Seeing Eyes brat," Femt commented nonchalantly as he twirled his cane. The rest of Libra turned their attention once more to the self-proclaimed King before he elaborated. "If there's one thing I know about Pain, it's that as manipulative and calculating as he is, he can get rather impatient when he's dealt a good hand and he can only restrain himself for so long before he plays it. It's partially why he has always been such a lousy card player," Femt couldn't help but quip earning several unamused looks before he continued. "In any case, whatever warnings or advisements he may have given you, I highly doubt Pain will stick to his word. If anything I'd be surprised if he keeps the brat alive longer than half a day before he gets impatient and decides to take matters into his own hands. Or more specifically, allow that little curse of his to finish the job." The entire group went cold at this revelation as Zapp numbly spoke.

"Then that 24 hour warning was…"

"Most likely a countdown to the boy's final hours," Femt finished as he stopped twirling his cane. Klaus' eyes widened slightly in fear behind his glasses and he clutched his fists tightly. Femt allowed the silence to stretch a bit before he turned back to them and thrust the tip of his cane onto the cobblestone path beneath them making a hollow clacking sound. "So what's it going to be Libra? Are you willing to chance trusting me and forming a temporary alliance? Or are you going to turn me down and go guns blazing to try and fight Pain and his forces on your own in a foolhardy attempt to rescue your little pawn? Ultimately the choice is yours but either way you don't have much time left. And neither does he for that matter."

Klaus was eerily silent and still for the longest time with his glasses and forced neutral expression obscuring any sort of hint as to what he was thinking as Steven, Lucky, Zapp, Zed, Chain, K.K., Hummer and Deldro looked to their leader for guidance. Finally Klaus made his decision. He slowly unfurled his fist and extended it outwards in a silent but clearly hesitant handshake of compliance.

"Klaus?" Steven began clearly shocked by the choice.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions," Klaus began as he gave Femt the most intimidating and unwavering look he could muster. "Trust is something earned, not given blindly. As far as I am concerned I have no reason to trust you regardless of the reasoning behind your actions. That being said, should I discover that this is some sort act of deception, I assure you that you _will_ suffer the consequences immensely." Instead of feeling intimidated or even affronted by the clear threat, Femt merely gave a devilish smirk as he strolled up to Klaus.

"You hero types; always so serious and predictable," Femt prefaced with an air of mild amusement before he took Klaus' hand in his own. Almost as soon as they disengaged the handshake did the surrounding area start to gain some light. Glancing to their left, the group noticed that dawn was just starting to break over the horizon.

"If we're going to come up with a game plan, now would likely be the best time to do so," Lucky suggested. "Most Lower Class Blood Breeds who can't hide or sustain themselves as effectively as the Higher Class Breeds will likely be seeking shelter and will give both us and the city a brief respite at least until dusk falls again."

"In that case attacking the source, in other words the King of Pain himself, would likely be the most viable solution," Steven articulated. "The only problem is we don't have a clue as to where the Son of a Bitch could be hiding."

"If I know that pompous prick, then he'll likely have taken to hiding as far out of the way as he can while at the same time positioning his lackeys strategically throughout the city to act at a moment's notice once they are able to move freely again. And there's only one particular place I can think of where he would be lying low."

"And where exactly would that be?" Zapp questioned in a snarky tone and frown.

"The Alterworld duh!" Aligula responded sassily as she put her hands on her hips and returned Zapp's sour look with one of her own. The Libra members exchanged troubled looks.

"Figures, the one place in the city we have the least credible information on is where he would be hiding," K.K. growled under her breath before speaking up. "Even if we narrow down our search to the Alterworld itself there's just as much ground, if not even more so to cover and with little time to cover it."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing we're here hmm?" Femt replied with a cocky smirk. "Leave tracking down Pain to us, you gorillas just focus on getting your shit together for the inevitable fight that's sure to follow," Femt declared as he turned and began to stroll away as Aligula followed though not with blowing a quick kiss towards Hummer and Deldro's direction, which caused the latter to turn his head away and grumble unflattering curses under his breath. "We'll contact you once we get the necessary information." Once the duo had disappeared out of sight, Sonic who had also been apparently observing from a distance, took the opportunity to come back out of hiding and perch himself on Klaus' broad shoulder once more.

"Not that we don't trust your judgment Klaus, but are you sure going along with the King of Depravity's so-called alliance is a good idea?" Lucky finally questioned.

"We unfortunately don't have much of a choice," Klaus admitted. "But should the worst happen then we'll deal with it. The most important thing right now is locating and rescuing Leonardo and stopping the King of Pain's advances before anymore damage can be done." Figuring it was better to prepare for the inevitable confrontation than needlessly worrying about the potential double cross, the others nodded resolutely in agreement before they turned and exited back out the way the came in. However, just before Klaus left the amusement park's plaza, he looked out across the river as more rays of sunlight started shining off the windows of the skyscrapers in the distance. Seeing the rising sun sparked a brief memory of the dawn following the second Great Collapse.

He recalled Leo and himself standing amongst the rubble and destruction, albeit with himself badly injured, clothes shredded and torn, drenched in his own blood and needing to be supported by Steven due to the wringer the King of Despair had put him through. Leo was a little worse for wear as well with a few bruises, scrapes, and cuts all across his body and face, some of which were still bleeding, and a cracked left eye (Abrams had given him hell for that when he found out). However in spite of the pain from the events they both felt on that day, they also felt the strong sense of accomplishment. Because of this, Klaus offered a large fist out to Leo, who instinctively flinched away clearly caught off guard by the action at first, but he quickly reciprocated and they bumped fists in a silent act of camaraderie. Klaus could also clearly recall the sheepish but proud smile Leo had on his face even in spite of the lingering tears from his emotional breakdown when all was said and done. Despite the circumstances, Klaus allowed a faint quirk up from the corner of his mouth that hinted towards a smile before his mind brought him back to the present situation and his expression became stern.

"Leo, wherever you are, just hold out for as long as you can. I promise you that we will _not_ fail again," Klaus mused internally before he turned and followed the rest of his team out of the amusement park plaza.  
_

Meanwhile, in a dark and dingy abandoned factory located somewhere in the thick, fog-covered Alterworld, said young man was currently doing all he could to do just that. As the curse runes glowed and pulsed with energy, Leo screamed and thrashed against the chains that bound his arms to his sides. Eventually the glowing ceased and the runes resumed their usual rhythmic pulsing before Leo collapsed onto his side while the three Blood Breeds laughed at his expense.

"I'll never get sick of this," the slender male Blood Breed said as he and the other two sadistic vampires held their stomachs. Leo gasped and panted from the exertion of energy as the sharp pangs slowly ebbed away into a slightly more manageable though still unpleasant throb. "Do it again boss," he implored looking to the King of Pain who was perched on a makeshift throne of rubble and debris looking as equally amused as his three minions.

"While I normally would be happy to oblige, I'm afraid we can't get too carried away," the sadistic Elder Class Breed replied as he hopped off his pedestal and walked over to the recovering Leo. The King of Pain crouched down by Leo's side balancing on the balls of his feet as Leo gave him a fatigued, if not slightly inquisitive look. "You know it was no mistake that you became the 1000th victim of my curse. The reason the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur is such a formidable curse isn't just because it's self-aware, it's because of what it offers for the Caster in exchange." Leo felt a twinge of curious dread fill him as he listened to the Elder Class Breed continue. "It's honestly no different than a contract between two parties. In exchange for giving the curse what it wants, it gives me what I desire. And what I desire are those precious eyes of yours along with every life force the Maledictum has claimed." The twinge of dread Leo felt instantly grew and spread throughout him.

"W-Why?" he croaked out. "What purpose could you possibly have for something like that?" The King of Pain gave Leo a devilish smirk.

"Because with every life force I claim, it will make me stronger. I've existed for hundreds of years, longer than even most other Elder Class Blood Breeds in this realm. Blood alone doesn't satisfy a noble and powerful being like myself anymore so I desire something more 'filling' as it were. And with each life force I receive through the Maledictum, I'll also gain the abilities and knowledge imbued within each one. Why do you think I decided to remain in this godforsaken Huma realm for so many miserable years? Each life force the curse claimed was carefully handpicked for my inevitable reign. Specialized soldiers with insider military information, spiritualists capable of formidable spells and incantations, even some high-ranking government and religious officials from both the Alterworld and Huma world as well as a few other Fang Hunters that were foolish enough to think they could stop me. And joining them will be yours as well." Leo widened his eyes slightly in alarm exposing his blue globes. "All that you know, all that you are, and all that you have will soon become mine and that includes those prized eyes of yours. And with your knowledge on the Fang Hunters' inner workings in this city, I'll constantly be one step ahead of them as an added bonus. Can you think of anything more deliciously ironic than that?" Leo grit his teeth and barely suppressed a growl of helpless frustration as he bowed his head causing his unruly hair to fall and overshadow his face.

"I'll also tell you this, it doesn't matter what those Fang Hunters do, keeping you alive any longer than necessary gains me nothing. However knowing how typical you Huma are, they'll likely restrain themselves from doing anything rash anyway if they think it means endangering your life. They'll probably even try to strike some sort of bargain with me or maybe even beg for leniency for either your sake or their own once I begin my rule. Though it's a pity I have no intentions of doing so. That being said I look forward to seeing the looks of despair on their faces when they realize that they lost their trump card," Pain commented as the other three Blood Breeds snickered at the thought and Leo's frown deepened.

"I honestly can't begin to tell you how much I wish I could just pluck those orbs from your sockets and take them for myself. But I unfortunately have to let the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur run its course otherwise it would be a breach of contract. Though that's not to say I can't have some fun with you until then," the Elder Class Breed said before his red eyes began to glow once more. Once more the curse runes began to glow with energy sending shockwaves of agony throughout Leo. However instead of allowing himself to cry out again, he grit his teeth and forced himself to stifle any sounds of discomfort as he withstood the thankfully short-lived effects of the curse until they faded back into their usual, rhythmic pulsing. This did not sit well with the three formerly giddy Blood Breeds.

"Tch, he barely reacted that time. That's no fun," the female Blood Breed remarked with a click of her tongue. Pain was clearly in agreement as he studied the suddenly defiant lad until a devious smile made his way onto his face.

"So you're trying to be a tough guy now are you? Tell me, by doing this do you think those Fang Hunters would praise you for your efforts? That they would consider you worthy of their respect? I mean, that's essentially why you always put up with all the crap they put you through right?" Leo stiffened slightly but did not react further as he listened to the Elder Class vampire continue.

"I'll give you this much, you're either earnestly persistent or stubbornly foolish to constantly straggle after them even when you know you don't have what it takes to stand side by side with them. But I regret to inform you that the tragic truth of the matter is that they honestly don't care about _you_ specifically. The only thing that matters to them is the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods. _You_ are nothing more than a convenient tool for them to use. Granted that's really why anyone would want anything to do with a nobody like you but hey, at least I have the decency to admit it to your face instead of stringing you along with false words and empty promises." Leo clenched his jaw as another frown made his way onto his face. Seeing this, Pain decided to give him one last push over the edge.

"You think I'm lying? Then answer me this: can you think of any time when they showed any kind of concern for your life or wellbeing whenever your eyes _weren't_ involved?" This time Leo could not prevent the unintentional flinch from the King of Pain's words. He remained silent but nonetheless could not help but think back as various memories resurfaced themselves in rapid succession. The countless times Zapp picked on him and sent him hurtling either intentionally or unintentionally into danger, Chain blowing him off that one time that burly thug of a tourist mugged him and she just so happened to be passing by, Steven's general indifference to Leo's presence unless there was a particular need for his eyes, even the more recent event of trying to inform Klaus of his suspicions of something wrong before the curse awakened only for his attempts to essentially fall on deaf ears. Leo couldn't help but curl in on himself a little as the cocky vampire hovering over him smirked. After a long moment of despondent silence, Leo finally spoke.

"You're probably right," Leo admitted with his hair still obscuring and overshadowing his face. "No, if I had to guess I'd say you're exactly right. I'm not stupid; I've known since day one that the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods are the only reason I ever even got involved with Libra and that's probably the only reason they put up with an ordinary, useless guy like me. These eyes have been nothing but a burden and have brought nothing but regret and misfortune into my life and I have no one to blame but myself for that. They're tools just waiting to be used by someone else and by extension so am I; there's no denying that. You're right about all of it." The King of Pain smirked a fraction wider at Leo's confession.

"But…there's something you should know," Leo prefaced. The Elder Breed's smile faltered slightly in confusion. Leo slowly positioned his body up from laying on his side up onto his knees facing towards his tormentor but with his head still down. "If I have to live my life as a tool to be used, then I'd rather be used for the right reasons. If it means helping and protecting people against monsters like you, then I'll suffer for that purpose. That's _my_ burden to bear." Pain's formerly pleased smile now fell away completely into an unreadable blank expression. "Also, despite everything you said before, there's one thing you _are_ wrong about. You said before that Klaus and the others would cooperate and allow you to do as you like. That's a complete load of crap." Leo tilted his head up towards him, his formerly overshadowed face now showing a surprising amount of resolve and his All-Seeing Eyes cracked open staring directly at him with a rebellious glare in spite of the obvious pain coursing through him.

"If you think that using my eyes as leverage will get them to do as you say then you're dead wrong. One way or another they'll find a way to stop you, regardless of whatever happens to me. And if you think for one moment that they won't, then you really aren't as clever as you think you are."

For a painstakingly long moment, the King of Pain's unreadable expression did not change. He remained unnervingly calm and stoic until, faster than Leo could even react, he retaliated with lightning speed backhanding Leo with such force that he tumbled and crashed into a nearby concrete support beam. The force of the impact caused it to crack away ever so slightly and Leo also felt something within his torso crack as well. The hard blow was also more than enough to knock the wind out of him and he let out a strangled cry as a result. Stabbing pain flared through his entire chest as he slumped to the ground gasping to catch his breath and coughing harshly. Each inhale only brought another new and sharp throb to flare up and a small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth from being struck. As Leo struggled to recover the sadistic Blood Breed approached him with deliberately slow and ominous strides. He reached down and grabbed Leo by the throat in a nearly crushing grip causing him to let out a series of spluttering gasps further restricting his airflow before hoisting him up and dangling him a few feet off the ground. A look of smoldering anger was plastered on the vampire's face.

"Don't get cocky with me you goddamn brat," he growled. "If you think possessing those blasted eyes of yours makes you some kind of hero then you're sorely mistaken. It doesn't matter who or what you were or want to be, your only purpose in life is to 'bear witness', remember?" Leo froze a bit at Pain's choice of words. "You're essentially no better than a walking, talking camera; you don't get a say in what you will and won't be used for. That's your karma as holder of the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods boy, so don't act like you're worth anything more than that!" With that last sentence the King of Pain hurled Leo down hard onto the ground causing another loud crack to be heard and more intense pangs of agony to sear through Leo's torso causing him to cry out again as a result. Leo coughed and tried to take in deep, shuddering breaths as The King of Pain huffed angrily and the three other Blood Breeds watched from the background in mild interest until finally Pain seemed to recompose himself. He ran a hand through his black hair and let out one last aggravated huff.

"As if a whelp like you can make any sort of difference to anyone especially without those eyes," he said as he observed the lad before him as he slowly managed to recover. Leo gazed up at his tormentor hurt but still unwilling to believe Pain's cruel words. Pain must have seen the lingering resilience in his eye as he felt his aggravation rise slightly again. However as quickly as it came, it was quickly gone and Leo noticed a small twitch at the corner of the Blood Breed's mouth before his expression changed into an unreadable one yet again.

"Fine then, if you're _that_ insistent on believing the contrary, I'll prove it to you: your general inadequacy." With that the King of Pain ominously raised his arm out to the side and flexed it allowing it to shift into the same wicked, demonic appendage from before. Leo felt terror grip him as he watched the Elder Class Blood Creed rotate his arm straight up and unsheathe his claws. "Don't say I didn't warn you boy." With that, Pain swiped his razor sharp claws down at Leo causing him to let out a loud cry as he could only brace himself for the worst.  
_

Author's Notes: Wow, this chapter actually came out a little earlier than I was originally expecting. I thought it would take another month or so but my muse was a little more active than usual despite the more exhausting days I've been experiencing. Even so, sorry for the still long wait. So before I get into things, I first want to thank Laialy for the awesome cover image for this story. I never would have thought this story would resonate so much with people to inspire such awesome artwork and it truly means a lot! Also big thanks to Rosalix Archangel, Laialy and RipleyL, for the reviews and ItsHoodButItsGood for Favoriting this story. Now, onto the chapter itself.

I know how terribly cliché it is for the good guys and bad guys to team up and this was kind of a risky move because I felt it would put a lot of people off this story for good but I often think of Femt as sort of a chaotic neutral/negative more just than a straight up villain. Granted he is still a sadistic, homicidal, high-energy, chaotic neutral/negative but he had his moments in the series that made him not like most villains who are actively out to simply just rule or destroy the world, especially when it came to the last episode in the first season and even the OVA of the first season with the restaurant (if you don't know what I'm talking about, I highly suggest Googling it. I just about died laughing when I first watched it). Honestly, writing him is going to be a lot of fun (he reminds me a lot of Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls XD) so I hope I did him justice in this chapter, even with his little comparison speech. Aligula is just, well, Hummer and Deldro's annoying stalker, fan-girl, ex-girlfriend but hopefully I can make things work with her. Poor Leo, with everything now fully revealed and bound to get so much worse, what's going to happen to him? Will Libra make it in time or will Femt prove untrustworthy after all?

The next chapter is the story's climax but because it's looking to be a BEAST of a chapter (both length-wise and content wise), so I'm going to have to split it up into two, maybe three, parts for my own convenience as well as sanity. And yes, as with all action anime, there is going to be an epic final showdown. I am still working out the fighting sequences so it is going to take a good amount of time and energy (something I still don't have much of these days even with the little bit of inspiration I've been getting). I also want to take my time with this to do everything right so I really hate to do this but…I have decided that I will not be posting any more of this story until ALL parts of the climax are 100% completed to my satisfaction and I have a solid plan for the conclusion. I don't know how long it will take, maybe a few weeks (that would be the best case scenario but is highly unlikely at this point), maybe another month, maybe longer; I just don't know. Again, I know it might be a bit much to ask since I've been taking such a long time with the recent chapters, but please be patient with me. I promise I will do my best to make the payout worth the wait! Who knows, maybe I'll even include something special at the end. Until next time!


	8. Confrontation of the Damned (Part 1)

WARNING: This chapter contains some scenes with slightly more graphic content than previous chapters that might be disturbing to some readers and border on the M rating. Reader's discretion is advised!

Chapter 8: Confrontation of the Damned (Part 1)

Upon returning to the office after their meeting with Femt, Klaus and the rest of the team took the opportunity to plan and prepare accordingly for the inevitable clash with the King of Pain. Naturally still untrusting of Femt and his so-called truce, the crew also deliberated on how to proceed and prepare for the potential worst case scenario should Femt prove untrustworthy, which carried on well into the early afternoon. Eventually satisfied with the countermeasures they came up with, the crew then tried their best to rest and recollect themselves before the call to battle while Chain volunteered her services to check up on a last minute tip she received from her information network and set off to investigate. However now, after several hours had passed and evening began to approach once more, the remaining Libra members began to grow more and more antsy by the second.

Each member was situated around the office caught up in his or her own act of restlessness. K.K. was mindlessly and aggressively polishing her pistols in one of the office's armchairs, clearly eager to unload a clip into something. Lucky was sorting through the various tools and constructing new talismans from his chrome briefcase on one of the couches in an effort to keep his mind occupied. Zed was slowly pacing along the back wall's bookshelves occasionally glancing from one book spine to another every so often but unable to commit himself to actually pull it from the shelf. Hummer and Deldro were quietly conversing in the far corner of the room sitting on the metal, spiral staircase though Hummer was absent of his usual chipper demeanor. Steven leaned against his cubicle's desk and mindlessly sipped a cup of coffee prepared by Gilbert hours ago, not even caring that it had long since gone cold, as his mind replayed and analyzed the day's events. Zapp was rapidly bouncing his foot from his spot on the other couch opposite of Lucky in clear aggravation as he puffed on another cigar. Finally, Klaus was seated at his desk hunched over with his elbows propped up on his desk and his hands folded in front of his face clearly in deep thought.

The air around them all was tense but the air around Klaus was easily the most suffocating as the others avoided the Brain Grid user's desk like the plague save for Gilbert who stood not too far away from him with Sonic perched on the elderly Combat Butler's shoulder, as it was currently the most comfortable place he could find with the whole room feeling like it was set to explode from the tension at any moment. It was deathly silent with the exception of the office's wall clock ticking unnaturally loudly. Each swing of the pendulum was a grim reminder of another second that had slipped by with no action taken and one more second closer to Leo's supposed end. Unable to take the uncomfortable atmosphere anymore, Zapp slammed his hands down on the coffee table gaining everyone else's attention and startling Sonic into hiding amongst the office plants as he snarled.

"Goddamn it! How much longer are we going to have to wait?" he demanded heatedly. "We're just sitting here wasting time and that Depravity bastard is probably just laughing and watching us squirm!" In the back of their minds the others feared Zapp was correct in his assumptions but nevertheless tried to hope for the best despite their own growing unease. However this was difficult as Zapp aggressively put out his cigar and rose to his feet to continue his rant. "Hell, for all we know that prick could have just been bullshitting us the entire time, lulling us into a false sense of security so we would waste time and allow that freaking Blood Breed to—" Not wanting to further listen to nor contemplate the pessimistic train of thought Zapp was spouting (and seeing out of the corner of his eye how Klaus' tense demeanor was apparently becoming more and more palpable as he could swear the larger man was starting to develop an ulcer in front of them all), Steven harshly set his now empty mug down on his desk interrupting the Big Dipper Style user's tirade.

"Zapp," he began with his head down and voice low as the white-haired male looked over to his superior. Steven slowly looked up at him and sported a smile that held absolutely no mirth and everyone could feel the tense atmosphere in the room noticeably drop a few degrees. "I understand you are frustrated about the situation, as we all are. But could you kindly stop talking otherwise I believe I might just do something I'll regret." A cold chill ran down Zapp's spine, though whether it was again literally or figuratively caused by Steven, Zapp wasn't sure. Regardless he instantly shut his mouth and gulped knowing full well that the Esmerelda Blood Freeze user would make good on his not so subtle threat. Deciding to move the matter in a more productive direction Lucky decided to speak up.

"If we don't hear back from either the King of Depravity or Chain soon we will have to enact one of our failsafe measures and go searching for the King of Pain on our own," the Blood Breed Specialist declared. Klaus seemed to come out of whatever internal struggles he was having upon hearing this.

"You're right. And if that's the case then we'll have to move as quickly and efficiently as we can to scour every conceivable part of the Alterworld, provided what the King of Depravity said about Leonardo being held there was actually reliable."

"The King of Depravity? Reliable?" Zapp expressed in clear skepticism, his initial verbal restraint quickly forgotten as he stalked over to the middle of the room to vent openly. "The only thing reliable about him is that he is a smug, twisted, egotistical prick who loves mind games. I get that our backs are kind of up against a wall here but if you ask me—"

"And we didn't," Zed deadpanned but Zapp continued on undeterred.

"Putting our trust in a guy that's completely untrustworthy seems like a pretty desperate and stupid idea," Zapp finished. Clearly irked by Zapp's blunt statement, Steven and the others were about to retort but were beaten to the punch when suddenly a wormhole opened up in the space of air on the far end of the room where Zapp was located. Faster than they could react, a blunt arrow shot out of the opening and planted itself into the back of Zapp's head causing him to face plant forward on the tile and a small squirt of blood to spray out like a fountain before the wormhole closed. Immediately recognizing the wound wasn't serious, the Libra crew just stared at the scene as they let what happened sink in.

"Again with the wormholes? Is that going to be a regular thing with that guy?" Deldro asked as Hummer shrugged.

"Well you can't say it wasn't good timing," Steven remarked as a small satisfied smirk faintly graced his lips.

"Oh sure, I'm fine! Don't all come running over at once!" Zapp snapped in vexation as he slowly got up from his spot on the floor and yanked out the projectile from the back of his head with a pained grunt before noticing the letter tied to it. Spotting the note as well, Klaus approached his colleague and immediately took the arrow and letter from him as Gilbert wordlessly grabbed the office's small first aid kit and began tending to the white-haired male's injury. Carefully untying the thread he unfolded the paper and sure enough, it was a message from Femt. Steven approached as well and read the much anticipated albeit irritating message aloud for the others to hear.

"Found Pain's lair. Make yourselves useful and get down here ASAP. We'll meet you there." Underneath the brief message was another hand-drawn map, although much more detailed this time with a bright red X marking the apparent final destination. Another cartoony doodle of Femt, this time decked out in battle armor and striking a heroic pose with a raised sword, was also drawn next to the short passage. The group exchanged clearly hesitant looks.

"I know this is exactly what we were hoping for," K.K. began. "And I hate to keep bringing this up too, but how can we know for sure that this isn't just one big set up or even the actual location?"

"It _is_ pretty hard to think that the King of Depravity of all people seems to actually be cooperating with us regardless of his reasons," Lucky admitted as he took the message from Steven and Klaus to glance over. "But even if we look past that for now, there's still a lot of information we're lacking here and what _is_ provided is still quite vague."

"True, it would be nice to have at least a little verification before we just throw caution to the wind and go running off into an unpredictable situation, especially when we know exactly what's at stake here," Steven voiced. By this point Zapp's arrow wound was treated and bandaged as the Big Dipper Style user silently observed still simmering. However the next thing he knew, something invisible catapulted him forward as a familiar figure materialized on top of his head and sent him sprawling onto the ground once more before nimbly hoping off.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I made it back when I did," Chain chimed in.

"Seriously She-Bitch!" Zapp shouted as he quickly recovered and got back onto his feet fuming his hands curled into fists. "How many freakin' times are you planning on using my head as a goddamn landing pad?!"

"Quit your howling Turd Monkey," Chain retorted unfazed by the show of aggression before turning her attention back to Klaus. "I just returned from chasing down that lead through the Werewolf Bureau and it was the real deal. Apparently there had been reports of unusual activity in a specific area on the far edge of the Alterworld just barely off the grid and it looks like it coincides exactly with the King of Depravity's map there," she explained motioning the paper still in Lucky's hands. "There have also been reports from a few witnesses describing a massive swarm of bat-like entities being spotted circulating specifically from an abandoned factory located within the area." Chain's expression grew a bit grim before she delivered her next piece of news. "And…as of a few hours ago, one witness even claimed to have heard screaming coming from somewhere in the depths of the compound." Scowling at the unsettling information, Klaus clenched his fists as he tried to quell his building anxiety.

"Then we haven't a moment to lose," he declared before turning his stony gaze back to the rest of the team who all bore similar expressions. "This confrontation might just be one of the most imperative we have yet to face. And I'm sure this also goes without saying but I will say it nevertheless: be cautious. No matter what we may encounter or how things play out, stay sharp and look out for each other. But more than anything," Klaus paused as his formerly stony gaze shifted into one of resolute determination. "Do not falter! Be it Blood Breeds, the King of Depravity, or the King of Pain, we will not allow them to succeed. Not only is the city's future is at stake but one of our own is in grave danger and we _cannot_ afford to fail at protecting either again!" Rallied by Klaus' words, the group gave reciprocating cries of understanding. Even the formerly cowering Sonic couldn't help but chirp up and perch himself on Klaus' shoulder evidently feeling a little braver than before. The collective group made a beeline for the office's exit, hungry for blood and eager for battle.  
_

The drive into the heart of the Alterworld was a tense one, and not just because of the unrelenting fog and twisting and turning roads that defied all laws of physics. The closer they got to the designated spot marked on Femt's map, the more they realized the information did not match what Chain had told them. Around them was nothing but a fog-covered landscape and the few sparse buildings that were present were either too run-down to hide anyone or did not match the supposed factory.

"I really don't like this," Steven said glancing from out the tinted windows over to Klaus who wordlessly nodded in agreement. Gilbert naturally drove, opting to take a larger, inconspicuous grey van that could accommodate the entire team without drawing any unnecessary attention than their own personal vehicles.

"We should be arriving at the designated destination shortly," Gilbert informed from the driver's seat as Sonic pressed his face up against the passenger side window where Lucky was seated.

"If this _is_ a double cross, just be ready for it all to go down here," Lucky cautioned as he riffled through the contents of his chrome briefcase that was opened on his lap and pocketing whatever charms and talismans he could carry. Deldro's bloody head extended out from Hummer's wrist to take a nosy peek at what the older man was doing. Mindlessly Lucky also tucked an extra roll of the blessed bandages he received from the Order into his overcoat's inner breast pocket just in case before finally shooing Deldro away with a wave of his hand. After a few more tense moments, the gang finally spotted something out of the fog. Gilbert slowed to a stop as the van's headlights came upon the edge of a noticeable drop-off where an old, yet decently sturdy-looking, stone building resided looking almost like an outpost.

The van idled as the group surveyed the area for any potential danger but nothing stood out. Cautiously Klaus got out first, knuckleduster at the ready just in case, followed briefly by Steven as they approached the outpost by the cliff. Peering over the edge, a seemingly bottomless chasm resided almost completely hidden in the fog. Not only that but it turned out that just a short distance from the gorge itself the road continued over it in a narrow, winding path. As their eyes followed the road's path they noticed something else looming just beyond the fog of the chasm about a mile away almost isolated by the whiteness: a large decrepit looking building with multiple smokestacks though somehow looking to be in far better condition than any of the other buildings this deep in the Alterworld. Sensing no immediate danger, Klaus wordlessly motioned to the others that the coast was clear and they also approached while Gilbert stayed with the van.

"Is that it?" Hummer questioned as he squinted his eyes to try and better make out the shape.

"It would appear so," Zed replied as Sonic scampered past them and hopping up on the top of the outpost's roof to also observe.

"So the prick wasn't entirely full of shit after all," K.K. quipped in mild surprise.

"Yeah but where is he?" Zapp queried as he glanced around them. The others also glanced around guards instantly up. Before anyone could say anything, a monstrous clawed hand flopped out of the darkness of the crumbling outpost and landed itself on Zapp's shoulder followed shortly by the head of an apparent Blood Breed. It had pointed ears and a humanoid face but looked to be more monster than human along with the usual red eyes and pointed fangs.

Reacting on instinct, K.K. immediately shot one round, thankfully with a silencer so as not to attract any unwanted attention, into its temple but to their surprise no blood came from the wound as it instead went flying off and rolled a few feet away while the body slumped over. A closer look revealed that the supposed Blood Breed was apparently already dead and the head was severed from its body, which was why it flung off so easily before both the body and the head disintegrated into ash. A low series of demented chuckles came from the darkness as Femt came into view wearing his usual lab coat and holding the Blood Breed's severed arm with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face followed by a similarly smirking Aligula.

"Told you lying in wait would be funny," Femt snickered to Aligula as he waved a greeting to Libra with the severed arm.

"Yep, totally worth it," Aligula agreed. Immediately realizing the true manner of the supposed "attack," Zapp summoned his Homuramaru and attempted to lunge at Femt only to be held back by Zed and Hummer (as Deldro wordlessly and warily eyed Aligula).

"Whoa, take it easy man," Hummer pleaded.

"Five seconds!" Zapp snarled through grit teeth. "Just give me five seconds. I swear I'll…"

"Just calm down. Getting angry will accomplish nothing," Zed tried to urge his fellow pupil. Femt however merely took note of the exchange and let out an exaggerated sigh as he haphazardly chucked the severed limb over his shoulder.

"My, my. You Libra tight-asses really can't take a joke can you?" Zapp and the other Libra members collectively glared at him. Deciding to move the conversation to the more pressing issue, Klaus spoke up.

"Is that where the King of Pain is residing?" Klaus questioned turning his gaze back to the factory in the distance. Femt's expression shifted from mildly amused to general indifference.

"That's right," Femt replied as he walked over to the edge as well. "This was ideally as close as we could get without being detected by him and his minions," he paused briefly and cast a glance to the ashen remains of the Blood Breed. "Though it didn't stop some of his more devoted underlings to attempt to take up residence here to act as lookout. But we took care of things before they alerted the others so…you're welcome." That comment garnered strange looks from the others.

"How did _you_ manage to take out a Blood Breed?" Lucky questioned with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

"The same way we'll take out Pain and his lackeys," Femt simply declared without skipping a beat and avoiding the question altogether. "Though having said that, I think it's only fair to warn you that fighting on the frontlines isn't really my thing so I'll let you handle the big dog himself."

"Woof, woof," Aligula mock barked.

"And what will _you two_ be doing exactly?" Steven pressed feeling his eye twitch slightly from the exasperating duo's shenanigans.

"Why whipping up my masterpiece of course," Femt expressed jubilantly. "We'll support you from the shadows while you do your 'hero' thing. After all, despite my desire to finally get rid of that insufferable Blood Breed, I am still leader of my faction of the 13 Kings so it would be problematic if I were to openly show myself and confront Pain, especially alongside you lot. I still have a reputation to uphold after all." Suspicion darkened each Libra member's faces as Klaus studied him closely for signs of deceit or trickery.

"If you have some sort of strategy, it would be beneficial to fill us in otherwise you could threaten your own success rate should we inadvertently interfere," Klaus smoothly reasoned. Femt returned his scrutinizing gaze with a look of mild exasperation.

"Look, finding Pain was one thing but dealing with him is another matter altogether, even for me. It took a while to get my hands on some effective materials that I can use against the other Blood Breeds but it might not be enough against someone like Pain. It will also take some time for me to whip up what I have planned so while I do my thing, you'll need to keep them busy."

"Then perhaps some extra assistance would be beneficial," Lucky offered stepping up and surprising the other Libra members.

"Mr. Abrams?" Hummer questioned stunned.

"I don't know what methods you plan to employ but if nothing else I can offer a second set of hands to get what you need done. And with our usual method of dealing with Blood Breeds unavailable to us at the moment, assisting you is the only chance we have at dealing with the other Blood Breeds should they interfere and wreak havoc," Lucky elaborated casting a quick sideways glance to Klaus. Catching on to his mentor's additional intentions, Klaus gave a brief and silent nod of understanding. Though he wasn't the only one who seemed to realize this.

"You all really have trust issues don't you?" Femt deadpanned folding his arms unimpressed.

"Can you really blame us after all the shit you've pulled in the past," K.K. couldn't help but snip. Femt merely shrugged his shoulders unapologetically.

"I'll help too," Chain volunteered as she stepped up next to Lucky.

"Wha? You too She-Bitch?" Zapp exclaimed sounding mildly incredulous.

"It can't be helped," she admitted nonchalantly. "My skills are generally ineffective with a major fight like this so I'll be most useful providing what back-up I can for everyone else. And like Mr. Abrams said, helping them might be the best chance we have at dealing with as many Blood Breeds as there might be." Realizing the validity of her argument, the group relented.

"Understood. But be careful, the both of you," Steven urged in a grave tone. They responded in turn with nods of understanding.

"Hmph, I'd rather have hunky and hunkier over there be the ones to watch over us, not some ugly old man and big-chested bimbo," Aligula sulked under her breath though still loud enough for Hummer and Deldro, Lucky and Chain to hear as angry veins appeared on the latter two though they ultimately kept their mouths shut in order to keep the fragile peace they had.

"So how do we get over there?" Hummer asked looking back to the factory's faint outline and largely ignoring Aligula's pass at him. "Do we just drive over and smash our way in?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Femt said. "Deep within that gorge there is where most of Pain's forces are residing, ready to act at a moment's notice should they detect anyone or anything crossing the threshold into their territory. They'd likely overwhelm you before you even made it halfway over or worse alert Pain and spoil the element of surprise."

"So then how do we get over there undetected?" Zed questioned. Femt merely smirked and snapped his gloved fingers. Almost immediately another wormhole opened, this one large enough for them all to walk through.

"Seriously? _Another_ wormhole?" Zapp questioned getting fed up with these things.

"I've been hooked on manipulating spatial distortions lately," Femt confessed. "They're just so handy and fun to tinker with. Like when you overhear someone get on your nerves with their incessant griping so you decide to give them incentive to shut up." He gave Zapp a knowing and cheeky grin.

"Why you!" Zapp once more tried to lunge at Femt but was restrained this time by Klaus who effortlessly held him back by hooking his large arms under Zapp's armpits and lifting him up as he flailed until finally and begrudgingly relenting.

"Now then, shall we enter the demon's lair to slay the beast and rescue your helpless pawn?" Femt urged with a semi-cordial gesture beckoning them inside.

"Just one moment," Klaus said before he turned and swiftly headed back to Gilbert and the waiting vehicle. Without a word, Klaus slipped a piece of paper to the elderly Combat Butler.

"If anything goes wrong, be ready to enter the next phase should it become necessary," Klaus quietly instructed.

"Understood Young Sir," Gilbert replied professionally as he wordlessly accepted the slip of paper. Satisfied, Klaus turned back and approached the rest of the team.

"So, who's first?" Femt asked with a devilish smirk present on his face. Klaus once more studied Femt before his eyes drifted to the wormhole. Wordlessly he stepped forward and strode through without pause. The Libra team exchanged quick glances before Steven walked through next followed by Zapp, Zed, Lucky, K.K., Chain, Hummer and Deldro, and finally with Femt and Aligula bringing up the rear. Just before the wormhole behind them closed completely, Sonic (having silently observed the whole interaction) too darted in quickly after them not wanting to be left behind.  
_

As the wormhole opened on the other side of the gorge, Klaus and the rest of the team stepped out one by one finding themselves right in front of the entrance of the factory that loomed over them. Sonic was the last to fall through before the wormhole closed and he scurried up Klaus' side clinging to his neck. Said man looked behind him to see if they had been detected yet but thankfully it looked like they hadn't.

"We'll have to part ways here," Femt informed. "We might have gotten by the Blood Breeds residing in the gorge but it won't be long before Pain picks up on our presence so we need to hurry and get started with whipping up our 'secret weapon.' Just keep them busy and don't die too quickly otherwise I'll lose what little expectations I have left of you people." With a curt nod, Klaus and the remaining members exchanged glances with Lucky and Chain, wordlessly wishing each other luck, before they swiftly and stealthily entered the building, careful not to let the large iron door's hinges squeak too loudly.

The team silently made their way inside, weapons at the ready, as they followed along the decrepit stone passageway strewn with rubble and debris. They kept their guards up straining both their eyes and ears for any potential signs of Leo or an ambush. It didn't take long until they eventually stumbled across what they assumed was the heart of the factory. It was a large concrete room about three stories high and roughly the size of a large football field. It was cleared out of most machinery and equipment though what was left was trashed and inoperable and shoved to the side with great force (judging by the deep groves in the cement floor) amongst several old and broken crates, boxes, and oil drums that had stacked but also abandoned or forgotten. The floor was littered with light trash and a bit more rubble that had apparently crumbled from the ceiling above over time, which now had large, noticeable cracks allowing the faint light of the approaching Alterworldly night to shine through. As their eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room their hearts dropped as they noticed the faint outline of a familiar figure lying off to the right as the light of the curse runes pulsed in the dark.

"Leonardo!" Klaus whispered in hushed urgency. He swiftly entered the room after first scanning the area for threats. Sonic was close behind him along with everyone else as they approached as quickly and cautiously as possible. However, as they got closer, their hearts sunk as they took notice of the condition Leo was now in.

His entire body was caked in dirt and grime and his clothes were tattered and ripped in places exposing a decent view of his normally obscured limbs and torso. Dark, ugly bruises, welts, and lacerations were present over almost every perceivable expanse of skin they could see and his right eye was also developing into a nasty looking black eye, though it hadn't swollen completely shut quite yet. Trails of both dried and fresh blood were smeared over his face particularly originating from his nose, the corner of his mouth thanks in part to a split upper lip, and even from a nasty gash hidden along his hairline. Blood was also faintly noted from the other lacerations covering his body that stained his clothes a slight ruby color and left noticeable smudges on the concrete around and beneath him. He was bound with chains around his torso but despite that they could see Leo's left arm was clearly dislocated from its socket judging by the awkward slant even as it was forced behind his back along with his other arm and his right leg was broken and bent in an unnatural angle as he lay on his injured right side. It was also at this point that they vaguely realized he was still missing his shoes from their former hideout and his socks were dirty and ripped on the bottoms of his feet, almost as if he had managed or tried to manage to run a good distance at some point. However the most noticeable thing, and what concerned them the most, was the quiet but unsettling, wheezing rattle that came from Leo every time he took a shallow breath, as though whatever he endured was so bad he couldn't bring himself to breathe too deeply even when unconscious. All this while he still trembled under the strain of the curse and the runes that pulsed more frequently in a slightly darker shade of red then they previously remembered.

"Leo…" Klaus mumbled numbly as the other Libra operatives didn't know what to say. However a dark chuckle soon broke them out of their stupor.

"So you managed to find us after all." Instantly the group's heads snapped up and turned towards the direction of the voice where they spotted the offenders responsible. The King of Pain was seated on top of the railing of an old, large, steel grid-style catwalk suspended about two stories up that overlooked the cement floor below. His three Blood Breed henchmen were also present as they sneered looking down at the Libra team.

"You!" Klaus growled narrowing his eyes dangerously and the clearly spooked Sonic immediately took off to seek a safe hiding place amongst the abandoned machinery from the nasty fight that was surely about to ensue.

"I have to say you Fang Hunters are more tenacious than I thought you'd be. Or perhaps it's simply blind desperation or stupidity," Pain remarked. "Well, whatever. I was growing a bit bored anyway." The Elder Class Breed's gaze drifted from them to the battered and unconscious form of Leo. "After all, there's only so much fun one can have with a toy once it breaks." This comment only further incensed the rescue team as they wielded their respective weapons and took offensive stances with hardened scowls set on their faces.

"Ooh, they're angry," the female Blood Breed stated mockingly. " _So_ scary."

"You _should_ be scared," Zapp snarled threateningly. The other Blood Breeds however merely smirked with clear skepticism.

"Really? After your terrible performances last time what makes you think this time will be any different?" The burly Blood Breed questioned. An electrified bullet ripped though the air and would have impaled the Blood Breed square between the eyes had he not leaned his head to the right to dodge it at the last second. A small trail of blood ran down from the grazed wound on his cheek that he couldn't completely avoid. K.K. held her stance her brows furrowed and one good eye narrowed dangerously with pistol raised and silencer removed as Steven took the liberty to answer.

"Because this time we aren't screwing around," he replied with an equally icy glare before Klaus took a step forward putting himself protectively in front of their injured and unconscious young teammate. His knuckleduster was bared in his left fist and leather battle gauntlet on his right as he stared the King of Pain down with anger and defiance radiating from every pore of his being.

"That's right. Heed these words and heed them well: for the sake of humanity we will _never_ allow you to succeed with your ambitions. And for what you've done to Leonardo," Klaus paused to take his typical battle stance. "You will _sorely_ regret your actions against him!" The King of Pain raised a brow regarding them in slight interest as the other Blood Breed's smirks slowly fell. It was clear that their human opponents meant serious business this time around.

"Well then," the King of Pain began coolly as he stood up and balanced himself perfectly on top of the railing. "It'll only be that more entertaining when we crush you then, won't it." Pain said as his red, serpent-like eyes scanned over them sizing them up. "If you think you really can fight us and hope to win," he prefaced menacingly before he widened his eyes and a terrifying grin nearly split his face. "Then just try it!" He then launched himself from the railing with such force that it bent and warped as he aimed himself at Klaus. The other three Blood Breeds followed suit and leapt over the railing to also partake in the fray.

Klaus reacted instantly by generating and launching a blood cross towards them. In quick response the Blood Breeds scattered with Pain unfurling his wings and flapping them to climb sharply and avoid the attack while the other three dispersed into bats as it slammed through the high ceiling causing debris and dust to rain down in chunks. They quickly reassembled and converged aiming for Klaus who was clearly the biggest threat. Thankfully Steven and K.K. were there to provide immediate assistance to their leader in a shower of ice and electrified lead. Unable to maneuver in midair at such speed and with such short notice from the colliding attacks, it made contact sending the three hurtling them back a ways slightly stunned as they began instantly regenerating. Taking advantage of the momentary drop of guard, Zapp and Zed charged forward as they exclaimed their attacks in perfect unison.

"Big Dipper Style Blood Technique Blade Form Two, Sky-Slicing Strands!" The two launched a slew of blood threads looking to ensnare and mobilize their opponents and leave them susceptible for a follow-up attack. For a moment this seemed to do the trick but unfortunately they weren't quick enough to pin down all of them securely as a hypersonic shriek from the female vampire blasted most of the threads away. It also knocked the two back a ways thanks to the minor shockwave as they luckily managed to cover their ears in time to protect from the concussive blast. This however gave the burly Blood Breed an opportune moment to lunge forward with great speed to take them head on while their guards were momentarily down. It was then that a large hand formed of blood literally cut him off before he reached the two. Hummer then leapt up into view as the bloody form of Deldro circulated from his left wrist. He then used his right to form another blood-formed hand, which he clenched into a fist to drive down into the burly Blood Breed. However he avoided the punch entirely before it crashed down into the concrete by leaping back and regrouping with his two fellow vampires. The bloody hands retracted and Hummer landed looking unusually stoic in spite of the situation.

"Good timing man," Zapp complimented as the Libra team regrouped as well preparing for their opponent's next move. Neither Hummer nor Deldro responded right away as they locked eyes with the burly Blood Breed who returned their gaze with a small yet arrogant sneer. A clear frown graced Hummer's handsome features in response while Deldro remained oddly silent.

"Leave the big guy to us," he said uncharacteristically sternly, which took Steven, K.K., Zapp and Zed by surprise.

"Wait, seriously? Where'd _that_ come from?" Zapp questioned. Again neither of the two answered as he instead walked calmly forward as Deldro began swirling his bloody tendrils around Hummer.

"Exocrimson!" He declared as the two merged and Blood Hummer stood in their place before charging with an aggravated cry. The burly Blood Breed just smirked as he too charged to meet the duo head on. As they grappled, rapid movement caught Steven and K.K.'s eye.

"Look out!" Steven warned as the remaining four narrowly avoided getting slashed by a familiar and unwelcome face. The slender Blood Breed with his irritatingly cocky smirk stood with his blade-like nails extended.

"So, since you're that eager to die, shall we continue where we left off?" he questioned beckoning them forward with a clawed digit. Steven and K.K. glared at him for a moment as they shifted into fighting stances. Behind them however the female Blood Breed prepared to ambush them with a hypersonic shriek only to be interrupted mid-inhale by the swing of Zapp's sword followed up briefly by Zed's trident that was launched directly at her. However she back flipped nimbly to dodge it as it embedded itself into the ground where she stood only moments before. Zapp and Zed stood their grounds against her as Zed quickly retracted his trident with an attached blood thread.

"That's quite enough of that," Zed said warningly as he caught and spun his weapon and took an offensive battle stance.

"Damn right, it's payback time you bitch!" Zapp cursed as he got into a similar position wielding his sword. A minor spark of irritation flashed across her face before it changed into amusement.

"If you insist," she replied before launching forward in an aggressive snarl. Zapp and Zed immediately charged in to meet the monstress on in a simultaneous clash of blood weapons against the female's extended nails before working together to drive her back while Steven and K.K. doubled down on their speedy and tricky adversary with gunfire and icy shards as he moved to dodge and close the distance between them and Blood Hummer continued to square off against the burly Breed in a show of strength before it quickly switched to a grudge match of heavy blows. As all of this was happening, Klaus remained steadfast against Pain's aerial onslaught. While he erected and rained down one blood cross after another to either impale the agile Blood Breed or launch in an effort to strike him down, he refused to stray too far from the unconscious and vulnerable Leo's side. Pain could sense this and took full advantage of the distraction and dodged one of Klaus' attacks before swooping around and aiming down towards Leo bearing his claws. Instinctively Klaus reacted and summoned his Keilbarrikade angled in such a way to act as a makeshift fortress protecting the unconscious Leo from harm. However Pain predicted this and skillfully dodged the move at the last moment, flying up and over it with a barrel roll and instead aimed his body straight for Klaus tackling him with such force that it sent them both hurtling towards the far wall with great force and speed.

Thankfully Klaus thought fast and grabbed the Elder Breed's wings from the front, using his great strength to force them down getting them close enough to the ground where Klaus could dig his heels along the cement to slow them as best he could, causing smoke to rise from the soles of his shoes caused by the friction. While helping somewhat, it did not stop them completely and as the wall fast approached, Klaus used his great strength to rip Pain's wings from his back and use his momentum to turn his body in midair so that Pain cushioned the crash into the concrete surface and practically embedding the vampire into the stone. Battered from the hard impact but essentially unharmed thanks to the cushioning, Klaus cast away the torn appendages and quickly retreated away from the rubble to gather some distance as he awaited the monster's emergence. Suddenly a red blur shot out from the rubble and Klaus narrowly dodged the brunt of the attack but still managed to get slashed along his right side drawing a decent amount of blood.

This seemingly mild injury quickly began to sear his flesh and an abrupt but strong pain shot through his core as a result though he managed to stifle a grunt. Gritting his teeth Klaus quickly recollected himself and grabbed the limb yanking with all his strength before slamming the attached Elder Class Breed down into the concrete floor and followed it up by launching a Kreuzvernichterlanze attack down onto him creating a deep crater from the impact. It turned out that the limb he had grabbed was a pronged tail causing him to release it in minor shock. This also allowed the King of Pain to reel it back into the smoking hole as he regenerated in a plume of steam that came from Klaus' purifying blood. Shaking off the discomfort, Klaus resumed his battle stance as he instantly repositioned his body so that he was once more standing protectively in the most direct pathway leading to Leo.

After the steam cleared Pain burst out from under the evaporated blood cross and instantly rushed Klaus, this time with both arms out and shifted into the demonic and powerful looking limbs with claws extended once more as a strange look of both irritation and warped excitement was plastered on his face. With every swipe and jab Pain delivered, Klaus instantly blocked and deflected as he met every blow with one of his one and took it all in stride. Even with the Blood Breed's regenerated wings and his whip-like tail that once more cracked and slashed at him from all angles giving Klaus more than his fair share of minor wounds, he did not relent in his own assault even as he was slowly forced back. However, just as they were almost back within a yard of Leo, Klaus became more wary and he immediately shifted tactics. As Pain launched his tail downwards looking to pierce Klaus from above, Klaus stood his ground and shifted his stance going immediately on the defensive with both arms raised and he summoned a slew of miniature blood cross shields to stop the tail's attack as well as multiple other strikes that The King of Pain launched at rapid speed. As Klaus withstood the assault, unwilling to move and jeopardize Leo who was now close enough to the danger again despite the protective Keilbarrikade, he waited for the most opportune moment to strike back even as the strenuous technique started to take its toll on him after over a solid minute and a half of the barrage. Though as he did, Pain spoke with a harsh bark of laughter.

"What's the matter Fang Hunter? Are you getting worn out already? Or perhaps you're too afraid that you've bitten off more than you can chew this time without the All-Seeing Eyes so now all you can do is defend yourself against me?" Pain mocked. Klaus couldn't help but grunt under the strain of the unyielding assault as he willed more blood into each miniature cross shield that evaporated upon being struck. Another irritating laugh came from the Elder Class Breed when suddenly something came crashing through the opposite wall in an explosion of smoke and debris. At first Klaus took no notice of this. However when something fast, almost as fast as the slender Blood Breed, shot out of the smoke, Klaus' expression shifted into one of surprise as an unnatural silhouette launched itself at Pain with an inhuman roar.

The roar also got the attention of all other parties in the room as they briefly stopped in the midst of their own fighting to observe the King of Pain nearly get blindsided by the unknown thing. However he did manage to react in time and with a quick backhanded swipe of claws from his powerful arm, the King of Pain sent the mystery assailant flying and skidding to a halt as it let out a small yelp and growl. With Pain distracted Klaus broke off the strenuous technique to recompose himself as everyone's attention was now on the mystery creature as the natural light finally revealed its identity.

A single, almost familiar-looking pale red demon-beast with a giant maw that encompassed almost the entirety of its face along with sharp, gnashing teeth and no eyes slowly rose up onto its limbs. However they were not robotic limbs this time around but instead were strong and well muscled with large, polydactyl, clawed digits and its body was toned and sleek though considerably smaller than its previous size going from that of a large truck to that more of a small car. The other noticeable difference was the scorpion-like stinger tail it possessed as it whipped the air. It recovered and took step forward, large nostrils from the top of its angular head flaring angrily, and let out another loud roar at the Breed who smacked it away. Both Libra and the Blood Breeds stared at the unexpected guest with mixtures of both uncertainty and confusion before Klaus' cell phone unexpectedly pinged signaling he received a text message. On instinct he pulled the phone out and stared at the screen's message in further confusion.

"Heads up," it read. Not even a second later did the ground beneath them began to quake ever so slightly as growls and stampeding footsteps began to approach them. Suddenly dozens of similar looking demon-beasts tore through the open hole on the far wall the first one had come through and charged with angry roars directly at Pain and the other Blood Breeds. Out of instinct, the Blood Breeds reacted by trying to gather some distance from their own battles but the beasts pursued them ignoring the Libra members completely, almost as if they were invisible. Even the King of Pain was seemingly caught off guard as he found himself leaping out of the path of the surge of ravenous creatures allowing Steven and the others to momentarily regroup with Klaus.

"The hell?" Zapp uttered in clear confusion. "Weren't those—" However before he could continue, Klaus' phone rung once before answering itself and a familiar, obnoxious voice came through on speaker phone.

"Well you all held out better than I thought you would," Femt spoke through the phone. Movement from up above caught Klaus' attention as he glanced up from his cell. Above them he saw Femt, Aligula, Lucky and Chain up on the catwalk near a second level entrance across the way and hidden in the shadows. Lucky and Chain gave the crew below small smiles and a reassuring thumbs up while Aligula and Femt hung back more out of sight with the former crossing her arms seemingly bored and the latter leaning against the wall gazing down at them indifferently and haphazardly holding a cell phone that Klaus recognized was Lucky's. "To be honest I was kind of expecting worse." Klaus opened up his mouth to reply but Femt cut him off.

"Look there's not much time so I'll keep things brief. As you likely already figured out, those demon beasts are revamped versions of the ones involved from our last encounter. However this time I tweaked their composition to specifically target Blood Breeds. In addition, I also spliced together a formula for a rather potent venom that their bodies can naturally produce that isolates and weakens the unique genetic code of a Blood Breed. It won't kill them unfortunately but it should mess with them enough to keep from regenerating as quickly or effectively. That being said there are two things you should be aware of. First, because of the rare and otherwise unpredictable materials I had to use to whip up the anti-Blood Breed venom, my little hell-spawns have an even shorter life span than they had previously and I sort of, kind of 'forgot' to delete the detonation code from their physiology so…" An explosion rocked the compound and the group shot a glimpse over to where the King of Pain stood quickly regenerating from the apparent severe and close range detonation of one of the demon beasts he had apparently just killed but, regardless, was still desperately fighting back.

"Yeah, work fast and don't get caught up in that," Femt said before continuing. "Once they inject enough of their venom they will be running on borrowed time to deal as much damage as possible before they go out with a bang." Lucky and Chain cast the King of Depravity cross looks while the Libra crew below cast irritated and slightly wary glances to the creatures that were still somehow keeping the four Blood Breeds busy as they dodged and struck back defensively at each one that lunged their tails and snapped at them.

"And the second thing?" Steven questioned not even bothering to hide his annoyance.

"While the venom should be enough to easily handle any Lower Class Blood Breed, and to a certain extent his three Higher Class underlings, again it might not be enough for Pain. As not only an Elder but also one of the 13 Kings, he can take just as much as he can dish out when he gets serious. So don't pull your punches, handicap or no, otherwise you'll get slaughtered. But hey, at least you have a like 12% better chance of not dying now so good luck with all that." Irritated growls followed that half-hearted statement. "And with that, we'll leave the rest up to you; don't blow it!" Femt tossed the phone back to Lucky and he and Aligula turned and sauntered back into the shadows. Lucky and Chain cast them silent but harsh glares before redirecting their attention back to the more pressing matter at hand as they looked out to the team from their vantage point.

"Klaus, we'll take care of keeping Leonardo protected so don't worry. Just focus on dealing with that cocky Son of a Bitch." Klaus grunted in acknowledgement.

"Understood, I leave him in your care," he said before ending the call. Not even a second later did a loud animalistic yelp of pain catch the Libra crew's attention before one of Femt's demon beasts collided into the wall closest to them and collapsed in a dazed heap.

Redirecting their attention back to the vampires, they realized that their opponents had figured out that killing the unusual beasts was a bad idea and were slowly getting back the upper hand. The three Blood Breeds had managed to cripple and/or maim a few of the agile demon beasts though they were seemingly still alive as they had not detonated and had apparently avoided getting struck with the stinger tails with venom as they retaliated. Not wanting to give them the chance to regain control, Steven, K.K., Zapp, Zed, and Blood Hummer jumped back into the fray. Klaus followed their lead and scanned the chaotic scene before him, quickly spotting his target. The King of Pain, once more fully regenerated, had just dispatched one demon beast and tossed away another before he was blindsided by Klaus' fist and sent back tumbling across the ground. With a growl he quickly recovered and got to his feet as the Libra leader stood poised for battle.

"It seems I underestimated your resourcefulness yet again," he snarled running his fingers back through his sleek, black hair. "I don't know how you managed to find such loathsome creatures or where they even came from in the first place but it does not matter. One meager army will not be enough to save you or that little whelp." The King of Pain undid and tossed away his grey long coat revealed the black muscle tank top he wore underneath. His whole body's muscles seemed to flex and twitch until he began to change. Pain's pale flesh began to turn red and more muscular. His limbs thickened and sharp claws grew not just from his fingernails once more but his feet changed shape into that similar to a large reptile but jointed backwards like a mammal and with longer clawed toes completely breaking out of the thick black boots he wore. Small but sharp black spikes poked through the fabric extending down his spine reaching the base of his tail and his ears became pointed and almost elf-like as he easily grew another foot taller surpassing Klaus by a head. All combined with his large, leathery wings, pronged tail and wide, evil grin with glistening fangs and dangerous, piercing, red serpentine eyes, he looked even more monstrous than before. Klaus however did not even flinch despite Pain's new form and when Pain spoke his voice was much deeper and sounded slightly warped.

"That weak little Huma's fate is sealed and so is yours Fang Hunter. And I'm truly going to enjoy making you suffer!" Instead of responding directly he only narrowed his eyes defiantly and gripped his knuckleduster tighter, a silent gesture that he was not intimidated, as a faint red light shone from the knuckleduster's nozzle.

"I will now apply my Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique!" Klaus declared his usual battle cry. The two stared each other down, sizing each other up and seeing who would make the first move. Eventually after a few tense moments, they both seemed to reach a similar decision and charged forward simultaneously as the true fight between them began.  
_

Author's Notes: I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEE! I'm so so sorry that this took so freaking long! Certain things happened over the course of the summer including a string of rather complicated and unwelcome personal events that I'd rather not go into detail about but let's just say it left me physically, emotionally, mentally and even financially in a bad state so for the past three and a half months, writing was sort of the last thing I had on my mind. I wanted to post an Author's Update chapter informing people of this and that I wasn't going to abandon the story but decided against it as I'm sure it would have gotten people's hopes up to finally see an update only for it not to be an actual chapter and then letting them down (I've been in that boat before). While I'm doing a bit better now, my work schedule is going to be changing in the coming week where I will be even more hard-pressed for personal time to write in the future so please continue to bear with me. Anyways, moving on to the chapter.

And so it begins, Libra vs. Pain and his Blood Breed forces. And with Femt and his demon beasts added to the mix, chaos is sure to ensue. Poor Leo, with what he has apparently endured you've got to wonder when he's going to catch a break, or a better yet, if he'll even survive long enough to be given one. Hopefully Klaus and the others can pull something off and fast! Coming up with the original fighting sequences was so time-consuming and difficult but I think I like what I came up with and hopefully it's fluid enough for you as the reader. Special thanks to everyone who favorited and followed this story over that insanely long period of time: saphiraseiro0911, Sugarblob, Inherited-by-Ocelot, MadisonMikazuki, Kisaki Yazmin Motou, igz, katurdi, kvking, Jadegem02, YokaiAngel, burou, Baylee1100, blueberryblueberry, seokjinyuzu, AlexaTheWingedCat, The WritingBug, MajinDetectivegirl, Astrispecto, and TakoSi and an extra special thank you to those that reviewed: Laialy, RipleyL, katurdi, YokaiAngel, blueberryblueberry, and Paula. The next chapter should be up by this time next week and fair warning, it will be a LONG one and likely much more intense than this one. Thanks again and until next time!


	9. Resolutions of the Damned (Part 2)

WARNING: This chapter contains scenes with considerable graphic content than previous chapters that might be disturbing to some readers and border on the M rating. Reader's discretion is advised!

Chapter 9: Resolutions of the Damned (Part 2):

As the battle between Klaus and Pain kicked up a notch, the struggles between the other Libra members and their respective opponents were progressing rapidly as well. Between Femt's beasts and the geared up Libra members, the three Blood Breeds found themselves getting slowly pushed to their limits.

The female Blood Breed screeched her hypersonic scream blowing away one demon beast after another that lunged at her only to get hacked and slashed essentially to pieces by Zapp and Zed. However, in typical Blood Breed fashion, it did little to actually stop her. While she rapidly regenerated her missing body parts and fought back against the advancing Big Dipper Style duo with her shrieks, it left her vulnerable to attack from behind as the silhouette of one creature fell over her. Realizing this, she quickly turned just in time to see a demon beast aggressively lunge at her and she dodged to the left just barely succeeding in avoiding its claws and fangs in time however the same could not be said for the creature's tail. She saw it coming at her far too late and as a result she could not avoid it in time as it plunged its stinger tail into her side injecting her with its venom. She let out an angry screech before turning with a look of fury and retaliating in a fit of rage with a vicious back-roundhouse kick sending it sprawling as she tried to recover from the evidently effective blow. In her rage, she again failed to realize there was more than one threat and again was able to barley react in time as she was nearly incinerated with a combo attack of wind and fire that still managed to scorch a good portion of her right flank. Letting out a high-pitched wail, steam rose from the inflicted area but both she and the two Z's noticed that her regeneration was severely hindered this time around as her charred flesh sluggishly wriggled to repair itself. Her ugly rage was now replaced with mild alarm as Zapp and Zed shared faint smirks and continued their assault.

The slender Blood Breed used his speed to his advantage, attempting to outpace Steven and K.K.'s attacks as well as the demon beasts as the latter party gave relentless chase. They did a decent job keeping up but the vampire was frustratingly crafty as he jumped, ducked, and weaved every attempt made to ambush and land a hit with their stinger tails. Their chase took them from nearly one end of the compound to the other and nearly to the second story catwalk at one point before one intercepting beast quickly shut that idea down by latching onto the Breed's leg to pull him down but he somehow managed to wriggle free of its grasp and further evade capture. Finally having enough of the cat and mouse chase, Steven narrowed his eyes and upon seeing the slender Blood Breed reach an unobstructed patch of concrete directly in his path, reacted accordingly. He stomped his foot, freezing the ground underneath in a thin but distinct patch of ice leading underfoot towards the Blood Breed's flight path. Sure enough, the slender Breed hit it causing him to lose traction and nearly eat it on the concrete and narrowly avoid getting impaled by the resulting icicle spikes created as a follow up measure as he dodged and rolled clumsily off the ice. Cursing loudly, the speedy vampire knew who was responsible and gave Steven the briefest and dirtiest of looks before recovering and taking off, this time towards him. However the demon beasts caught up before he could reach him allowing one to finally hit its mark and inject its venom though not before the slender Breed retaliated on instinct slashing at the beast with its claws leaving it gravely wounded. However before he could react further K.K. blew several high caliber shock rounds into the vampire electrocuting him. Again steam began rising from the injured vampire as his flesh began to regenerate at a much slower rate.

The burly Blood Breed, in his arrogance, almost dismissed both the demon beasts and Blood Hummer completely. However upon noticing the extent of damage suffered by his companions, and even his King, he knew better now than to let either get close. While being mindful of the beasts that swarmed him like a pack of dogs, he kept a wary eye on Blood Hummer who had stepped up his game from just mindless brute strength. As he kicked and punched any beast that got close, he had to avoid calculated punches whenever the other sensed an opening created by the demon beasts. Quickly becoming irritated, the burly bloodsucker even went so far as to snag one lunging demon beast by the tail and swing it around knocking the others away before flinging it towards Blood Hummer. Thankfully, the two-in-one man team saw this and (in a kind display on Hummer's part) caught the creature with outstretched hands before (in a not so kindly display on Deldro's part) tossing it away as he continued its charge towards the Blood Breed without missing a beat. He lunge-tackled the burly Breed and pinned him down with each massive hand by his forearms before bringing his shorter legs and feet up and pile-driving them down into the vampire's chest. Unfortunately before he could actually make contact, the burly Breed dissolved into bats to escape the blow but as he reappeared behind the Libra operative to counterattack he was suddenly blindsided by (apparently) the same demon beast he had used as a living mace. Before the burly Blood Breed could recover both claws and stinger tail planted themselves in his side and neck and began to tear into him out of pure hatred. Unfortunately the burly Breed managed to bring a heavy knee up into the creature's gut before successfully tossing it off him. Rolling over and getting onto his feet as steam too rose from the vampire's wounds that slowly regenerated as he gave Blood Hummer a contorted grimace of anger.

Klaus continued his head-on assault against Pain as the assisting demon beasts helped keep the King of Pain from moving as effectively as before. While Klaus was giving Pain a fair amount of trouble and keeping the bloodsucker on his guard with his heavy-hitting blows, the demon beasts were still having difficulty in getting close to the Elder Class Breed to be able to inject their anti-Blood Breed venom as said vampire easily countered their efforts and subsequently beat them away. Meanwhile, from up above, Lucky and Chain ran along old steel catwalk system as they surveyed the scene below them. The old metal beneath them creaked quietly in protest from the rapid movement and constant shifts of weight but seemed to still hold strong. Finally they spotted what they had been looking for.

"There!" Chain exclaimed pointing below across from where they were situated on the to the distinct form of Leo still protected by Klaus' Keilbarrikade. Without hesitation, Chain swung herself over the edge of the railing diluting herself enough to where the laws of physics would not apply when she landed while Lucky swiftly made his way to the nearest metal rung ladder up against the wall that would take him down to the main floor. However, as he quickly made his way across and down, he failed to notice the how the old, rusty nuts and bolts on not just the ladder but from the catwalk system in general began to ominously groan louder in protest and warp under some unseen stress. Making it safely to the ground Lucky dashed as discreetly as possible in order to avoid detection from the brawling parties over to Chain who stood peering grimly into where the still out cold Leo lay nestled between the protective blood crosses. That was when he and Chain finally got a good look at the state he was in.

"Jesus, what the hell did those bastards do to him?" Lucky muttered in mild shock as the injured young man before them continued to tremble and quietly wheeze under the strain of the curse. Chain's brows furrowed in silent concern and fury as she phased through the barrier to gingerly check Leo over.

"He's hurt pretty bad but he's still alive, for now," she informed adding the last part with a grim undertone. "We should get him out of here ASAP."

"That might not be a good idea," Lucky interjected. "Moving him without knowing the full extent of his injuries could make them worse. Plus if the King of Pain realizes we've taken Leonardo and run, he might use his eyes against us again and cause him even more suffering. And I don't think that's something he can take much more of," Lucky finished warily eyeing the darker curse runes that pulsed in rapid succession.

"So then what _should_ we do?" Chain snapped in clear frustration. Lucky opened his mouth to reply but before he could say a word a distant wailing of shrill screeches sounded from outside. Again, the fighting slowly came to a temporary standstill. Klaus and Pain, who were in the middle of gearing up for the exchange of a fearsome attack, could only glance up as the distant wails became a growing cacophony of aggravated bellows. The looks on not just Pain's face but even those of the three weakened Blood Breeds said it all as slowly they began to give cocky smirks once more.

"It looks like your little army is about to meet some fresh contenders," Pain declared with a nasty chuckle and grin as the sounds of multiple flapping wings was also mixed into the soundtrack of noise. Instantly the Libra crew knew what was coming and dread filled them.

"Oh Shi—" before Zapp could finish his drawn out curse, all hell then broke loose.

Several dozens of Lower Class Blood Breeds filtered in through the cracks in the ceiling screeching and roaring. Immediately over-stimulated by the sudden appearance of as many Blood Breed presences as there were, the remaining demon beasts that were once focused on either one of the four big threat Blood Breeds, were immediately drawn to the prospect of more prey and broke away from each of their current battles to engage them. Howls and snarls filled the air as the demon beasts fought tooth and nail to tear into and inject their venom into as many Lower Class Blood Breeds as they could. Those that were injected began to yowl and hiss as smoke poured off of them and the venom coursed through them before they succumbed to the poison and were either devoured, torn to shreds unable to recover, or reduced to ash from several overwhelming doses of venom. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to do much to the majority of their ranks as they were grossly outmatched. For every demon beast that had not been injured or slain, three more Blood Breeds seemed to appear to take the place of their fallen comrades. Soon the demon beasts were becoming overwhelmed and their injuries were becoming too severe and eventually, one by one, some began to detonate injuring multiple vampires caught in the blast but not stopping them for long. To make matters worse, some of the lower-ranking Breeds took the opportunity to set their sights on the opposing Libra members.

Forced to break off their offensive against Pain's three lackies, this time it was Zapp, Zed, Steven, K.K. and Blood Hummer's turn to back off from their respective battles lest they got blindsided and overpowered. The three Higher Class Breeds, smirked even as they struggled to overcome the venom introduced into their systems, as they observed their opponents struggle against the sudden and unwelcome surge of enemies before jumping back in themselves.

Deldro instinctively hardened their exoskeleton exterior further to prevent the onslaught of Blood Breeds from penetrating and Blood Hummer punched and smashed every vampire that got close with his massive fists. However even though they were bigger in size and formidable in strength, it did little against the sheer number and persistence of the other vampires as they swarmed and attempted to latch on and sink their claws and/or fangs into Hummer who was encased inside. Even though Deldro was holding strong it was starting to take its toll on them both as they tried their best to throw off each one and fight back, which was when the burly Blood Breed took that as his cue to step back into the fight. Even weakened, he cut in striking quickly and decisively with a sudden and strong haymaker and following up with a solid kick that nearly put Blood Hummer through the opposing wall had he not seen the attacks coming at the last second and reacted quickly by planting his feet and hands into the stone underneath to maintain his ground as he skidded a good distance leaving trails in the concrete. The two-in-one behemoth growled as he kept his guard up and fought back as best he could with a retaliating punch that was quickly caught and countered with a quick jab to the face from the Breed's other fist.

Steven and K.K. cooperated together as best they could to hold their own against the slew of vampires. K.K. quickly emptied one magazine of bullets, opting for headshots for easy targets and quick effectiveness, and as she worked to quickly reload her pistols Steven stepped in to cover her and finish off what he could with a flurry of frozen kicks and freezing them altogether in ice to buy them time. However their best efforts couldn't hold off the sheer number of monsters forever and all it took was for one wily lower class Breed to get past their defenses and launch itself at Steven, distracting him from covering for K.K., and providing an opening for the somewhat slower, but still decently agile, slender Breed to get a lucky swipe at the gunslinger from behind. While it was a rather shallow flesh wound thanks in part to K.K.'s quick reflexes, it still caught both her and Steven off guard enough to allow Steven to drop his guard momentarily after dispatching the Lower Class Breed that ambushed him. He then received a nasty surprise spinning heel kick to the side by the slender Breed sending him rolling to the ground before narrowly avoiding the worst of a swipe of sharpened claws along his exposed back though, much like K.K., he too received a decent flesh wound for his efforts. Additionally this gave the lower-ranking Blood Breeds the opportunity to further whittle away at their defenses, gradually wearing them down enough where their injuries started to accumulate as they tried to maintain their cool under fire as the slender Breed snuck in cheap shots whenever an opening was detected.

Zapp and Zed were no better off as they worked in tandem to subdue or put down as many enemies as they could. Zapp opted to take the brute force approach now wielding his Crimson Honebami blade dangerously and not only slashing the vampires that were foolish enough to attack but additionally incinerating any vampire that made contact as Zed took the defensive to subdue and finish what few were left behind in a more calculating manner with his Piercing Dragon Spear. However this unknowingly left Zapp open to a counterattack on the female Blood Breed's part. She blasted him with a lower frequency hypersonic shriek but due to the closer range of the attack, it still sent him sprawling and left him dazed when his head hit the ground roughly. Zed saw this and ran to his senior pupil's aid, as he tried to recover from the assault to fight off the approaching Lower Class vampires that had their sights set on him. Thinking quickly he used his Wind Weaving technique to disperse the vampire minions in midair before shredding them to pieces with his Sky-Slicing Strands. However, it was no more than a distraction as again the monstress launched another dulled but forceful hypersonic scream that blasted Zed away and stunning him as he also landed hard. They both recovered as quickly as they could only to barely avoid serious injury from the next wave of Lower Class Breeds but still gained some nasty wounds nevertheless as they fought back.

Even Klaus, who was still fully engaged in his clash with Pain, found himself in a similarly unfavorable situation as several of Pain's minor forces attempted to swarm him. Thankfully, he kept his cool and managed to disperse the ravenous mob easily enough. He quickly deflected one of Pain's attacks before delivering a brutal punch to the body followed by one to the head practically sending him flying like a rag doll and his head snapped back hard enough to easily snap any normal person's neck. He then quickly followed up by raining down hell-fire in the form of several blood crosses that either completely crushed or impaled the monstrous minions. Once there was a brief lull in the fight, Klaus took quick notice of the tight spots the rest of his team was in and went to help them but before he could even take a single step to do so, the quickly recovered Pain was back on him. Klaus soon found himself alternating between fending off the Elder Breed and obliterating the additional persistent Lower Class vampires that jumped in looking to assist their boss. It soon began to slowly take its toll on the red-haired man as for every small fry he managed to take out, Pain would be there to block Klaus from attempting to assist the others and in turn strike back whenever Klaus was distracted. To make matters even worse, Pain had been continuously successful in avoiding getting injected by the venom of even one of Femt's demon beasts prior and thus each attack had been decisively effective in making its mark. Klaus' clothes began to tear and become slightly stained with his own blood under each swipe of Pain's monstrous claws or slash of his pronged tail and his skin started showing decent bruises under each heavy-handed blow. Regardless, the Libra leader did not falter even once as he withstood it all and continued to match the blows he received move for move.

As this was all happening, Lucky and Chain hunkered down close to the protective Keilbarrikade with the unconscious Leo as they watched the mayhem everyone else was enduring.

"I can't take watching this anymore. We have to do _something_!" Lucky said with an evident glower looking from the pandemonium back to Chain.

"Not that I don't agree but what can we do?" She questioned. "We're outnumbered and, as much as I hate it admit it, outmatched right now. Plus we can't just leave Leo unattended. We still need to keep him safe." Lucky was silent for a moment as he looked back to the melee and back to her before replying.

"Not we, _you_ need to keep him safe," Lucky countered as he reached into his trench coat's inner pockets and pulled out several talismans and charms.

"Excuse me?"

"Your dilution abilities can keep yourself and Leonardo under the radar from attack while I help Klaus and the others. Even if it might not be much, I can buy them at least a few moments of time."

"Are you crazy?" Chain questioned semi-incredulously. However instead of replying or listening to Chain as she tried to dissuade him from doing something reckless (more out of worry of who might get caught up in Lucky's usual path of destruction than the older man's own safety), he took off into the war zone to assist the closest ally. Though sure enough, not even part way into the fray, Lucky's penchant for disaster seemed to strike yet again as a random, injured demon beast blindly rushed towards Lucky whilst being swarmed and attacked by latching Lower Class Blood Breeds. Caught off guard by getting unexpectedly charged, Lucky froze momentarily before quickly leaping and rolling out of the way. Looking over his shoulder on reflex, Lucky observed the yowling and flailing demon beast plus its unwelcome clingers barrel straight towards Klaus and his fight with Pain.

"Klaus look out!" Lucky called out in warning. Klaus heard his mentor's warning and upon deflecting another blow by Pain, both he and the Elder Class Breed paused mid bout to turn their heads to see what was coming right for them. After a split second of processing what was looming towards them, a nasty smirk then graced the vampire's lips. He turned on Klaus nearly sucker punching him though Klaus narrowly dodged this and retaliated with a left hook. Unfortunately it was caught by Pain and he was quickly spun around and nearly hurled towards into the creature's path. While Klaus managed to catch himself in time and recover from the harsh tumble, the demon beast was too close for Klaus to evade and the inevitable happened. The demon beast, too gravely injured by the latching Blood Breeds, could no longer continue on even after repeatedly injecting them with its venom and as a result detonated once it had gotten within range of Klaus and Pain. The shockwave of raw energy and viscera engulfed Klaus as the catwalk system overhead shuddered from also taking the full brunt and the sound of metal groaned even louder throughout the compound but it went basically unnoticed in favor of the more unsettling issue.

"Klaus!" Lucky shouted in concern as even the others, who had quickly turned their attention towards their leader's direction upon hearing Lucky's warning prior, felt equally horrified upon seeing what befell their leader. A small plume of smoke stirred up from the debris that rained down from the ceiling before Pain emerged from the smoke with a mighty flap of his wings to survey the damage. Despite the sacrifices of three more of his underlings, he was ecstatic as his red, slitted eyes surveyed the scene eager to see how badly his adversary was hurt. However as the smoke started to clear, a strange outline began to take shape.

A large, dark red coffin-looking object patterned with skulls stood in place of where Klaus was residing only moments before. A second later the solid-looking protective barrier dissolved and Klaus emerged unscathed from his Cross Blood Casket technique having narrowly escaped the full force of the blast in time. As the smoke around them still hung in the air, Klaus glanced around hoping to lock eyes with the Elder Breed and hopefully get the drop on him. However Pain apparently had similar thoughts and, using the lingering smoke as a cover, he lunged at Klaus from behind with clawed hands outstretched. Klaus managed to turn his body just in time as Pain grabbed the red-haired man's shoulders and attempted to pin him to the ground. Reacting instinctively, Klaus used Pain's momentum and rolled the both of them backwards, kicking Pain off of him, and then finishing the roll in an attempt to quickly get up from his knees. Unfortunately he was not quite quick enough as Pain recovered almost immediately from being thrown and, while still facing away from the Brain Grid user, he crouched down, planting himself to the ground for purchase and used his pronged tail to successfully land a swipe at Klaus' back.

Klaus' waistcoat ripped from the jagged edges of the appendage and a considerable amount of blood was drawn from the fairly deep wound staining his clothing. Stumbling forward a bit from the sneaky blow as he got to his feet, Klaus again slowly felt his new injury sear deep into his flesh and a strong pang coursed through his body and right to his core. Gritting his teeth yet again, Klaus barely managed to keep himself from letting out an audible grunt of discomfort as he winced and felt his strength inexplicably start to falter ever so slightly. As a result the Keilbarrikade that still protected Leo began to show signs of minor strain and vulnerability as the blood crosses momentarily lost their luster and wavered before Klaus willed them to re-solidify but with noticeable cracks on the surface. Trying to quickly recompose himself again from the abnormal wave of pain, Klaus was nearly almost caught off guard by the Elder Class Blood Breed who again charged straight at Klaus this time with his mouth agape and fangs bared with the clear intention of aiming to sink his fangs into Klaus' jugular. Quickly pulling himself together, Klaus countered with a twisting palm heel strike uppercut into the Elder's jaw using his right hand. While not his dominant hand, the amount of force put into the blow was still enough to not only break his jaw but also unhinge it in the process as it hung agape in a ghastly display before Klaus used his left hand bearing his knuckleduster to follow up with another attack.

"Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique, Form 32: Stechende Blitzattacke!" Klaus summoned forth a spear-shaped blood cross lance that quickly skewered Pain through the chest faster than he could even react. While the attack seemingly should have pierced through the Elder's heart, it was still not enough to actually kill him even though it was still clear that it did some considerable damage as he growled and struggled to break away from the purifying attack that burned away at him. In a desperate attempt to free himself before he got too worn down, Pain had no choice but to literally tear himself away from the technique leaving a gaping wound in his chest and the right half of his torso nearly ripped out with steam billowing from his side as he regenerated. Pain also took this time to use his left hand that was still intact to snap his jaw back into place in its socket with a sickening crack as it too quickly mended itself. He moved it back and forth a few times to test it out before he spoke.

"Not too bad Fang Hunter," Pain said mockingly with a noticeable trace of venom in his words as the attack behind him dissipated. "You not only stubbornly refused to cry out but even got in a few decent blows. But ultimately it will all be for naught. Pain is an inevitability no matter who or what you are and sooner or later you'll break, just like how that little brat did." The reminder of Leo's injured state caused Klaus to scowl and dangerously narrow his eyes as he bristled in anger but he managed to quickly regain his composure.

"You are severely mistaken if you think that Leonardo or myself will bend to your will, _despite_ whatever deceitful tactics you may have employed. Regardless of whether something is inevitable or not, it does not mean it can't be overcome." With that statement Pain went into a short but condescending fit of laughter.

"Oh please, why is it you Huma are always so stupidly stubborn? Just look around you, you've already lost!" Pain said as he gestured around them both with his regenerating arm and other hand. "Your trump card is off the table and will shortly be consumed by the Maledictum. Your team is barely able to fend for themselves and soon they'll be overwhelmed and slaughtered by my followers like the mongrels that they are. And guess what, there's no hope for salvation for you either. As formidable as you might be, you are also going to die a slow and very painful death, one that I am going to take much satisfaction in as you watch everything around you crumble into oblivion and you sink into despair before I take the pleasure in ending you," Pain declared smugly as he finally finished regenerating. "Face it Fang Hunter, it's over."

Klaus did not say a word but instead momentarily shifted his gaze from the King of Pain to the rest of his team and their battles. The Lower Class Blood Breeds that had been ganging up on the other members had thankfully been, albeit temporarily, subdued for the moment and the remaining demon beasts seemed to be occupying the attention of the rest but even so the others were left battered and in tough spots against the three Higher Class Breeds as they continued to fight back. He studied them all closely for a moment before turning his attention back to Pain. Then, much to Pain's confusion and irritation, Klaus cracked a small grin and let out a silent huff of amusement.

"And what's so damn funny?" Pain growled.

"Because what you see and what I see are two different things and the picture you have just described is clearly not the case at all," Klaus responded coolly. Irritation quickly fell back into a mild confusion as Pain's brows furrowed at this statement.  
_

Zapp and Zed dug their respective weapons into the ground looking to slow their momentum as they skidded along the concrete battered and moderately wounded. The female Blood Breed, who had lowered her leg from unleashing the responsible kick to send them back, gave a smug smirk as she stared them down apparently feeling much better after having starting to work the last bit of venom out of her system.

"Oh what's the matter?" she asked in mock pity. "Could it be that you've finally run out of steam? Or perhaps you finally realized just how hopeless your situation really was." Zapp and Zed didn't respond as they dug their weapons out and clutched them tightly, silently glaring daggers at her. She regarded them for a moment and realized that despite their somewhat haggard state, they still had a considerable amount of fight left in them and let out a small scoff.

"Honestly, it was amusing at first to see how pointlessly you all struggled in a situation you had no chance in but now it's just pathetic. Why is it that you Huma find it necessary to struggle at all anyway? What will it possibly change? All it accomplishes is just a slower path to your demise and for what, that boy?" That statement caused both Zed and Zapp to tense up immediately but the monstress continued on. "You Huma really are idiotic. Don't you realize he is already beyond saving now? His fate was sealed the moment our King got his hands on him and you Fang Hunters will also—"

"Shut the hell up!" Zapp snapped interrupting her. For a moment the monstress was a bit taken aback and she blinked almost startled. One glance from them and she could tell that something had changed yet again. The two's formerly silent but stoic demeanors had shifted into clear displeasure and the signs of their mild exhaustion seemed to momentarily disappear. Zed's yellow eyes narrowed dangerously and his posture was stiff but clearly poised and ready to act at a moment's notice as he clenched his Piercing Dragon Spear with both hands with a silent but strained calm. Zapp on the other hand had his head tilted down in such a way that his white bangs cast his face in a mild shadow that hid his expression but his slightly hunched shoulders and overall body language screamed hostility even as he dropped his arms to his sides gripping his Crimson Honebami.

"Just what the hell do you actually know about us anyway?" Zapp questioned, his voice dangerously low. "What makes you think you know _anything_ about who we are? And what makes you think you're such hot shit that you can run your fucking mouth and act all high and mighty just because you managed to get a few licks in?" Zapp's fists began to clench tighter as he spoke and his low voice began to get a little louder. "I don't know what kinds of people you might've gone up against before and I honesty couldn't give a rat's ass even if I did. Do you really think we're so soft as to just keel over without a fight when things get a little rough? Don't screw with me, you don't know a goddamn thing!" He then dispelled his blade and glanced up with an ugly scowl plastered on his face before he gave the female Blood Breed the finger.

"We're Libra you bitch, we don't back down for no one! We've dealt with worse things than a bunch of gutless, shitty, blood-sucking freaks and we're gonna beat your asses so hard that you never forget it!" The female Blood Breed seethed with rage before she launched another hypersonic shriek directly at the two in response to Zapp's bold and aggressive act of defiance. However before it had a chance to reach them, Zed intercepted the attack by generating a powerful channel of wind to cancel out the shockwaves blasting out what remained of the factory's glass windows as the two opposing sides were knocked backwards though Zapp and Zed managed to stay on their feet.

"For the sake of further setting the record straight, I suggest you not talk lightly of our convictions and take your own actions into account before you spout off such utter garbage," Zed declared with a rare tone of contempt in his voice as she recovered her footing from being blown back and letting out a low growl. "Also, you might perhaps want to better assess the situation at hand as well, as this fight is _far_ from over." No sooner had he said this did she get ambushed by Zapp's blood threads that tightly wound around her, ensnaring her and hurling her with great force in a up into the air in a wide arc before being slammed into the ground with a bone-shattering impact. Without hesitation, Zapp flicked the switch of his lighter and activated his Seventh Hell technique causing her to let out a high-pitched wail as she was badly scorched in the resulting blaze. Despite that savage attack, both he and Zed observed and prepared for the retaliation that was sure to follow.  
_

Blood Hummer's back collided hard into one of the old abandoned pieces of machinery with a loud crash, partially embedding himself into the old metal. Though thankfully with the hardened exoskeleton, Hummer wasn't too banged up though the same couldn't be said for Deldro who was starting to show visible strain (at least to Hummer who was still safely and largely untouched inside and knew Deldro's tendencies and limits better than anybody). The burly Blood Breed cracked his knuckles and sneered at his opponent.

"You've improved somewhat since our last fight, I'll give you that much," the blonde haired Breed said as Blood Hummer wordlessly pried himself loose limb by limb. "I suppose you took what I said during our last encounter to heart. Even so, the difference in our skills is clear; you stand no chance against us, let alone myself. After all, we _are_ the more superior race. No matter what allies you may have or how much you try to improve yourself, you can never hope to win. Especially now that that minor inconvenience of toxin has been almost entirely cleansed from my body. If you truly value your life you should just surrender now and save yourself a painful demise," he taunted with a smug grin. Blood Hummer regarded him silently throughout the vampire's spiel and was silent for another moment more before finally he tilted his head in clear inquiry.

"Why would I do that?" Hummer questioned from with his exoskeleton with a tone of genuine curiosity. This simple question caused the burly Blood Breed's smug grin to leave his face before Hummer continued. "It's true that things are looking a little dicey but what sense does giving up and walking away make? Not to mention it would be pretty inconsiderate to Klaus and the others when they're fighting so hard and for Leo, who you hurt so badly." The last part of this was said with an undertone of bitter resentment before as quickly as it occurred, Hummer was back to his usual chipper and nonchalant self. "They need us so if I am going to die, then I'd rather die trying to help my friends!"

"Speak for yourself," Deldro interjected aloud clearly unamused by the prospect or prematurely expiring. Hummer paid no mind to this statement but instead followed it up with one last sentiment.

"Besides, I don't know about you but running away just because I can seems kind of cowardly. I didn't think you were that kind of guy or is that a Blood Breed thing too?" The tone Hummer used when asking this was completely genuine and innocent, causing Deldro to openly snort in amusement at his partner's unintended insult, but nevertheless seemed to wound the burly Blood Breed's ego and naturally caused him to get visibly aggravated as a result.

With a snarl he launched himself forward unleashing a flurry of rapid punches. However Blood Hummer was ready and countered by instantly hardening his exoskeleton in as thick a layer of blood as possible and anchoring himself with blood thorns that extended down from both feet deep into the concrete. He brought his thick arms up to shield himself from the barrage as the relentless vampire pummeled him. Thankfully Blood Hummer's foothold and defenses, while still somewhat strained against the brutal onslaught, managed to hold strong and ultimately unmoving even as the concrete underneath gave way slightly from the assault. For what seemed like minutes the display seemed to be brought to a standstill until suddenly, Blood Hummer reacted. Unlatching one foot from the concrete he brought a short but strong leg up at just the right time into the Blood Breed's extended forearm to deflect and disrupt the string of attacks causing him to falter. Instantly the burly bloodsucker went from furious to flabbergasted as he realized what just happened.

"This bastard, he just used my own move against me!" the blonde-haired vampire mentally gaped as images of their first fight ran through his head. However it was too late for the Blood Breed to recover as Blood Hummer then shifted the hardened blood into his right fist, enlarging it to an extreme degree, and declared his next attack.

"Plain Punch, Revised!" The fist made solid contact though not before the vampire did his best to dig his feet and block the blow to soften the damage though to no avail as he was sent flying and crashing not only through the far wall but essentially every wall after that until he was sent clear out of the compound as every bone in the vampire's body seemed to break more and more upon each point of contact.

"Think we overdid it a little?" Hummer asked curiously as they observed the smoldering hole.

"Nope!" Deldro responded with a shake of his head and proud tone of satisfaction.  
_

Steven and K.K. were once more finding themselves being slowly run down from the fast-paced vampire who had by that time almost recovered his usual level of speed. Every attempt to deflect and counter every swipe of blade-like claws or lunging feint was met with little to no success until one feint too many unfortunately caused Steven to momentarily let his guard down. The slender Blood Breed took advantage and managed to land a slashing uppercut to Steven's right flank. The Esmerelda Blood Freeze user cried out in pain; the force of the blow sending him tumbling backwards before he recovered into a kneeling position nursing his side as more blood trickled from his wounds. The speedy vampire smirked before K.K. fired a few electrified shots at him. One managed to graze him but again due to the Breed's irritating speed, he quickly managed to avoid the rest before closing the distance between him and K.K. and grabbing her right wrist in an attempt to drive one clawed hand to skewer into her stomach. Fortunately K.K. managed to largely deflect the blow by using her left leg to kick the vampire's arm away though not entirely as the grazing swipe still left a reasonable wound and drew more blood before she was thrown rolling along the ground.

"Is that _really_ the best you Fang Hunters can do?" the slender Blood Breed questioned condescendingly. Steven and K.K. both scowled at him in clear vexation.

"Oh give us time, you _won't_ be having the last laugh," Steven retorted in a composed yet snarky tone as he slowly stood up still nursing his side.

"I'm going to enjoy more than just the last laugh when I blast that stupid grin off his face," K.K. growled as she quickly reloaded and cocked her pistols and also rose from the ground choosing to ignore her wounds as they weren't quite as deep as Steven's. The opposing Blood Breed regarded them with the briefest of incredulous expressions before it quickly disappeared and a mixed look of exasperation and what could only be described as skeptical amusement replaced it.

"Are you serious? Either you two are desperate, delusional, or both. Your chances of beating us are essentially zero and even if on the off chance you manage to survive and escape with your tails between your legs, you won't be able to save anybody in the long run. Especially not that little runt, much less yourselves." This caused a subtle but instant change in both Libra operative's demeanors. Steven firmly set his jaw and subconsciously straightened up a little more despite the wound to his side and K.K.'s brows creased in a visibly distinguished glower. "I may have had some suspicions or expectations in the beginning but if that pathetic Huma is any indication of what you Fang Hunters are capable of, then it's clear that I alone should be more than enough in ending the lot of you!"

With that, the slender Blood Breed sprinted forward at high speed switching into a serpentine like pattern as he rushed them with the clear intention of wanting to again confound and get the drop on his adversaries and for a moment this seemed to work as Steven and K.K. did not react right away. Smirking the Breed went in for the kill with both arms outstretched and talon-like nails extended. However instead of delivering the intended final blow he was anticipating, the slender Blood Breed was surprised to not only blocked by both Steven and K.K., but also stopped dead in his tracks.

Steven had brought one of his legs up and, in an unexpected move, encased his own leg in a solid cast of ice to act as a guard for the vampire's sharp nails that held strong under the heavy blow before it cracked and shattered and a few minor specks of blood went flying as a result of what little the claws were able to penetrate. K.K. had crossed her dual pistols to not only block the strike but catch him by the wrist while using her pistols as a medium for her blood to build and generate a small electrical field to retaliate and discharge a mild shock through the barrels of her gun temporarily stunning him. She then pushed him back and sent a pointblank shock round between the eyes while Steven followed up by delivering a vicious ice-laden kick to the chest sending him tumbling backwards rolling onto his stomach and coating him in a decent layer of ice. Clearly taken aback by the unexpected turn, the brown-haired vampire slowly forced himself up even as several small chunks of ice and frozen flesh chipped off of him as he regenerated from that as well as the gaping hole in his head.

"W-What? How did you—"

"Don't ever underestimate us asshole!" K.K. interrupted coldly with a dangerous gleam in her eye as she instantly re-loaded and cocked her gun and aiming it at his head. "It'll be the last mistake you _ever_ fucking make!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Steven chimed in with an unusually upbeat tone now completely ignoring his injured side as he glanced from K.K. to the Breed before them with a smile. "So, you think we're either delusional or desperate to try and fight back against you and your so-called King and that we can't protect our own, is that right?" Steven's smile and upbeat tone then quickly fell as a cold mist started rising from the soles of his shoes. With one of the deadliest and dirtiest glares he could muster his voice dropped dangerously low as he spoke again. "Then why don't we test that theory?" A quick look of mild shock crossed the slender Breed's expression before it hardened and he broke off the remaining frost from his body and leaped back into the fight only to again get blasted back by gunfire and shards of ice.  
_

During the brief moment of their exchange, Pain quickly picked up on the shift in the clash against his henchmen. He shot a quick glance behind him to his fellow vampires before turning back and silently regarding the wounded but undeterred Klaus with a look of subtle displeasure. Klaus, who had also noticed the change in the tide of battle, took advantage and decided to pick up where he left off.

"I have full faith in my team and Leonardo as well. No matter how great the endeavor or how desperate the situation, I believe that they will persevere and overcome any obstacle thrown at them."

"Then you're an even bigger fool than I previously thought," Pain retorted skepticism still lingering in his tone. "Believing in a false hope rather than facing the harsh reality is the epitome of human stupidity. It's no different than wandering blindly in darkness; you may think you are moving forward but eventually you'll stumble and fall or be worn down and eventually swallowed whole. It's a useless venture." Klaus took in what Pain said but his resolute expression did not change.

"That is where you are mistaken," Klaus prefaced causing the Elder Breed's brow to crease once more in aggravated confusion. "To persist and struggle in life, to strive forward and relentlessly pursue our ideals and goals regardless of the setbacks. No matter the gain, no matter the loss, that notion of hope is something that resonates in us and drives us forward; it is in our nature. As a Blood Breed you may never understand this or think of it as foolishness but to us, that is what makes us human." Pain's sharp ears then twitched as he quickly picked up a distant yet familiar rumbling sound that began growing louder and closer.

"One more thing," Klaus resumed redirecting Pain's attention back to him. "You referred to our situation as hopeless, like wandering in darkness. That too, is a grave misjudgment. Because you see, sometimes being surrounded in darkness is necessary…before one can properly see the light."

No sooner did Klaus finish this sentence before the rumbling sound Pain had picked up were soon vaguely noticed by a few of the other Blood Breeds before suddenly green beams of light erupted through the far end of the factory's concrete wall (adjacent to where the wave of demon beasts had burst through). The green beams carved through the stone in intersecting pathways with ease before the wall exploded out with stone and debris and a familiar classic Nautilus roared through. Gilbert laid down the gas pedal driving headlong into the fray activating the car's weapon systems and opening fire. Blood splattered and limbs and bodies went flying as he tore through the horde and cleared a path to Steven and the others. Cranking the wheel, Gilbert spun the car around performing doughnuts in order to maneuver around the other members and effectively shield them as his car's weapons system fired off more rounds to keep the monsters at a distance, including the Higher Class Breeds as they momentarily retreated back to also avoid being gunned down. He then skidded to a temporary halt with engine running and cracked his window open.

"I do apologize for the late arrival," Gilbert said to Steven and the others. "However I had to wait for our additional reinforcements to arrive as instructed by the Young Sir in his message." Not even a moment after the combat butler said this did another vehicle, a jeep to be precise, roll in with horn blaring before also skidding to a halt beside them and an ecstatic driver plus eager passenger stood up from their seats to greet them.

"Gotta say, I'm not normally excited to be brought into such a nasty-looking scuffle like this, but I honesty can't think of a better opportunity for a trial run for our newest pride and joy," Patrick declared with a wide grin as he glanced to Neyka.

Wordlessly, though clearly with the same enthusiasm Patrick had, she smirked and pulled out what appeared to be a heavily modified RC controller and pressed a large button on the side. It was at this point that the Blood Breeds that were either blown away or injured in the Nautilus' initial path of destruction had regenerated and geared themselves for retaliation. But before they could launch any sort of offensive against the combat car or Libra operatives, another vehicle resembling a smaller tank on wheels quickly arrived on scene through the gaping entrance created by Gilbert at full speed. The Agasaya Mark Two, though smaller in size than a typical combat tank, was still decently large enough and powerful enough to literally run over the recovering Blood Breeds crushing and them underneath. Those that weren't run down quickly directed their attention from the demon beasts that still lingered and instead set their sights on the newcomers. With a smirk Patrick and Neyka exchanged quick glances as the latter pressed a series of buttons on the controller. The Agasaya Mark Two's chassis popped open and a plasma gun humming with energy emerged on the left flank while the right produced a machine gun. The optic sensors on the front of the combat tank flashed to life and scanned the scene before quickly locking onto the furious Lower Class Breeds that rushed them and automatically opened fire. Most of the monstrous horde was either obliterated or torn to shreds under the rapid-fire shots from both weapons and left to regenerate once more though some were fortunate enough to escape the majority of the barrage due to inaccurate shots that missed their target completely. Thankfully they still ended up getting struck down by the tenacious demon beasts that picked up on the heavy smell of blood and swarmed. Patrick let out an impressed whistle.

"Man I really do owe Leo a major solid for helping out with Agasaya's detection program, even if it is only partially developed and looks like it can only hit about 75% of scanned targets. Even so, this is gonna be fun!" With a whoop and holler both he and Neyka grinned like maniacs before Patrick floored the gas pedal to follow alongside their new destructive toy while Neyka operated the controller. Gilbert too, after giving a silent yet assuring nod to Steven and the others, rolled up his window and revved his engine before squealing his tires and speeding off into the fray. Taking that as their cue, the remaining Libra members turned back to their respective opponents (save for the burly Breed as he still had yet to reappear from Blood Hummer's punch), who looked absolutely fed up with the constant resistance, and without hesitation continued where they left off.

Slowly but surely the tide of battle changed yet again as the several dozens of Lower Class vampires found themselves pushed back by the ferocious combination of technology, Libra firepower and the few dozen demon beasts that remained. Injured or not, the creatures continued their relentless pursuit and, seeking to complete their main objective before the end of their lifespan, managed to succeed in slowly attacking and overwhelming one gunned down, attacking, or retreating Blood Breed after another before injecting their venom. Billows of steam once more began to rise from their forms leaving them susceptible to death either by the heavy gunfire courtesy of Gilbert and the Agasaya Mark Two (who were thankfully careful not to gun down anymore of the odd creatures and some were even intelligent enough to jump out of the way), the demon beasts themselves through mauling or self-destructing, or simply crumbling to dust under the effects of the potent liquid in their systems. By chipping away at the vampires' numbers little by little, this in turn left Steven and the others to concentrate fully on their own battles. Without any more distractions and with the fire in their bellies reignited, they began to make a decisive comeback against their opponents, with the notable exception of Blood Hummer who took it upon himself to help out on the sidelines by assisting in protecting an oblivious Lucky who had caught the attention of a few stray Blood Breeds as he used his charms and talismans to seal the movements of several other vampires. Blood Hummer reacted by quickly batting them away like flies with a fallen steel beam while Lucky's back was turned but upon hearing the heavy thump of bodies against metal, he turned around to see Blood Hummer behind him in post swing pose and with no longer any danger present, he gave his unknown savior with a cocked brow of confusion as a metaphorical question mark seemed to hang over his head. Seeing all of this naturally infuriated Pain before he recollected himself and turned his attention back to Klaus with a strained smirk that looked more like an aggravated snarl.

"Tch, annoying pests. Well so what? It matters not how many of you there are. Even if most of my kin perish, I can find others to replace them and you will _all_ fall in the end regardless once I get through with you! As for your so-called 'hope,' it won't last for much longer and when it does run out, you'll all know what true pain is!" Pain charged Klaus again claws splayed looking to tear into him but the Libra leader stood strong and easily deflected the blow and following up with a quick cross jab with his left followed by a knee to the gut and just like that the fight was back on once more.

While the main fighters continued their bouts, Patrick and Neyka burned rubber as they drove through the melee looking for a decent place to oversee the Agasaya Mark Two's spectacle. Seeing them coming their way, Lucky flagged them down while Blood Hummer remained close to his side as his temporary bodyguard. Seeing them, Patrick slowed his vehicle just enough for Lucky to take that as his cue to instantly jump in the back seat much to Patrick's dread and instant wariness as he recalled the last time he allowed Lucky to ride in his jeep during the second Great Collapse (he was _still_ paying off the damages those meteors caused when his jeep was in the shop).

"Excellent timing you two," Lucky declared as Patrick frowned a little.

"Yeah sure," Patrick mumbled half-heartedly before Lucky continued on leaning forward from his seat in back and grabbing both the headrests of Patrick and Neyka's seats.

"Listen, the situation is a bit chaotic right now but the main thing is that we need to keep the Lower Class Breeds off of Klaus and the others while they deal with the King of Pain and the other big fish and, just as importantly, keep Leonardo safe from harm by those blood-sucking monsters," Lucky relayed. Patrick's unease was quickly replaced with grave seriousness as he and Neyka nodded.

"Yeah, we got the general lowdown from Gilbert on the way over here," Patrick informed. It was then that Hummer temporarily exposed his face and head from Deldro's exoskeleton and a look of concern was noticeable on his features.

"How's Leo holding up Mr. Abrams?" he questioned. Lucky cast a quick glance back to the still standing Keilbarrikade across the way where he could vaguely make out Chain kneeling next to Leo with one hand on his quivering side. She kept her attention fixated between making sure he was still alive and keeping them both as transparent as possible from any enemy that strayed too close, often reaching for her personal pistol that was tucked away in her back waistband on habit if anyone got too close before retracting her hand evidently realizing it would ultimately be a pointless notion. Lucky glanced back to the handsome man with a grim frown.

"As well as he can manage in this situation but there's no telling how long we've got until the worst happens. We can't afford to hold anything back anymore!" Hummer nodded in understanding as he too had a similar expression on his face.

"We'll do whatever we can to help take these guys down," he reassured. Lucky was about to open his mouth and say something more when something caught his as well as Patrick and Neyka's attention and their eyes widened.

"Look out!" The warning however came a bit late as suddenly Hummer and Deldro found themselves blindsided by something that tackled and sent them nearly sprawling backward had he not instinctively dug his heels into the cement. On instinct Deldro quickly retracted Hummer back into the relative safety of his innards as the two-in-one team shook off the unexpected blow and redirected their attention to the unwelcome person responsible. The burly Blood Breed stood before them with a look of anger as his bones visibly and audibly snapped and cracked reforming back into place from the devastatingly strong attack the two had dished out on him.

"Well you've certainly got my attention now," the burly Breed growled in his heavy Russian accent. Lucky, Patrick, and Neyka tensed at the unexpected obstacle but prepared to jump in and lend Blood Hummer a hand but the latter surprisingly interjected.

"It's cool guys, we got this," Hummer said in his usual nonchalant attitude from within his Exocrimson form. Lucky seemed clearly hesitant about letting the duo handle such a formidable adversary on their own and was about to protest when Hummer cut him off sounding more stern than the older man had ever heard. "Mr. Abrams, we got this. You guys go help Leo and the others." Mildly stunned by Hummer's unusually serious demeanor, Lucky blinked a few times before deciding to take his word.

"Got it. Just try not to do anything too reckless," Lucky advised.

"No promises," both Deldro and Hummer said simultaneously. Patrick then took that as his cue to speed off with Neyka and Lucky in tow. The burly Breed seemed to contemplate going after them but ultimately decided to let them go in favor of dealing with the more meddlesome obstacle as the last of his broken bones mended themselves.

"Having the nerve to oppose me in combat is one thing but to still dare to make a mockery of our fight with those insulting techniques? For a moment I thought perhaps you had changed and gained some semblance of respect but it seems like I gave you too much credit." Blood Hummer silently regarded his words for a split second before responding.

"Yeah, about that…we actually thought long and hard about what you said during our last fight and you know what, you're right," Hummer confided causing a genuine look of mild surprise to grace the blond-haired Breed's face. "We may not be skilled or dedicated 'warriors' like you or Klaus, but you know what? The more we talked about it, the more we realized something: why _should_ we care about what you or anyone else thinks is the right or wrong way to fight in the first place? As long as we win isn't that what matters?" The burly Breed's surprised expression fell back into a scathing look of ire. "So we decided we're going to fight and win and save our friend our _own_ way!" Having heard enough of this, the burly Breed let out another growl.

"Such arrogance! If you think that such simple-minded ambition can win against me then you'll die a dog's death!" the vampire exclaimed before he charged forward. He tried to go for a low blow to Blood Hummer's side but he countered it by using his left forearm to parry the attack and used his solidified right to land a punch to the Breed's cheek. Undeterred, the vampire barely flinched as he recovered and instead went low again performing a sweeping kick to knock Blood Hummer's legs out from under him. Caught off balance, the Libra convict went flat on his back and leaving him with his guard temporarily down for the burly Blood Breed to pivot and switch legs in preparation for an axe-heel kick straight down looking to crush Blood Hummer's head. Just before his foot managed to make contact, both Hummer and Deldro's eyes narrowed and they made a move he did not expect.

In a swirl of blood, Deldro momentarily dispelled the exoskeleton causing the much larger Blood Hummer form to disappear just in time for the Blood Breed's foot to impact the concrete where his head was resting only moments before and leaving a large indent in the ground. Since Hummer's true body was much smaller than Blood Hummer's hulking form, the foot missed him by at least a few mere feet. Said vampire's eyes widened in surprise at Hummer who was now willingly exposing himself as he and Deldro's bloody form made eye contact with a defiant glare. He also realized that since his foot was momentarily stuck in the concrete this now left _him_ vulnerable and the two Libra members seemed to realize this as well. With a confident grin, Hummer maneuvered his lanky form out from under the Breed and Deldro engaged their Exocrimson once more before turning and landing a spinning back-fist with a solidified hand, which both dislodged the Breed's foot and snapping it in the process as he twirled in midair before crashing to the ground.

Getting up from the blow and seeing red from the rage, the burly Breed just roared in anger as the broken ankle snapped back in place before charging headlong back into the fight. The incensed vampire got into a boxing stance and proceeded to throw continuous jabs, punches and kicks, all of which Blood Hummer either blocked with his hardened exoskeleton or countered with similar well-timed punches. One punch in particular was aimed at Blood Hummer's bulky, muscular torso but instead of blocking or dodging it, Hummer and Deldro once more did the unexpected. Again they disengaged their Exocrimson, however only partially this time, as the blood making up Blood Hummer's massive frame essentially shifted out of the way exposing a dangerous amount of Hummer's true self as the buff Blood Breed's right fist struck nothing but air just barely missing Hummer's side. Again taking advantage of the unexpected drop in guard, this was when Hummer and Deldro reformed the blood of their Exocrimson around the Breed's hand essentially trapping him in place as he tried to yank free. Bringing up his fists Blood Hummer pummeled the trapped Breed with several punishing consecutive, one-two punches down onto the Blood Breed's head like a punching bag. Somehow, the Breed did mange to finally pull himself free, though clearly having to break his arm in the process to do so after he had suffered such heavy physical damage that left his face a broken and bloody mess (though not that it mattered as it quickly healed and whatever bone structure that was broken was almost instantly repaired) before he retaliated with a wild back knifehand strike with his left aiming for the base of Blood Hummer's thick neck. However the blow was deflected by Blood Hummer's reinforced defenses before he grabbed the burly Breed's wrist and forced it behind his back while also locking him in place up against his larger frame so that he was nearly up against his shoulder and putting a considerable amount of strength into his legs as he leapt high into the air.

"Let's try something a little different," Hummer said. Just as Blood Hummer reached the peak of his ascent, he somersaulted backwards a few times to build up his momentum before declaring his attack.

"Inverted Brainbuster!" he exclaimed as he pile-drove the burly Breed's head straight down onto the concrete with so much force that half his upper body was submerged and broken and left in a deep crater. After a brief moment of struggling and rapid regeneration the Breed planted his feet and pulled himself out to turn back to Blood Hummer with a look of fury only for it to switch into one of surprise. Again a solidified punch to the cheek made impact and caught him off guard sending him hurtling into the same abandoned piece of machinery that Blood Hummer had previously gotten embedded in destroying it completely and stirring up a cloud of smoke and debris.

"That one was for Leo!" Hummer declared as he climbed out of the decent hole before posturing with his fists up in a clear battle-ready stance. "And we're not done yet, so bring it on!" A moment of silence passed as the smoke began to settle before a low chuckle could be heard that developed into a cold laugh. The burly Blood Breed emerged as the last of his injuries mended themselves with an insincere smile plastered on his face even once he finished laughing.

"Congratulations," he growled. "It seems as much as I hate to admit it that I underestimated you. As infuriating and insufferable as you and that ridiculous fighting style might be, you have at least some conviction to be deemed something similar to a threat." He paused for a moment before the smile went from condescending to downright sinister. "So it looks like I'll have to start taking you more seriously."

The burly Blood Breed's eyes went completely red as his body began to shift before the Libra member's eyes. Bones snapped and reformed as his black leather jacket and green tank top ripped and was completely torn off as the Blood Breed began to change size from his former height (around six foot something) to nearly ten feet tall (still a few feet shorter than Blood Hummer). Coarse brown hair grew from patches of skin and what skin was left became tough and leathery. Sharp claws extended from where fingernails once were and his camo pants ripped under the extra muscle underneath as his bones re-shifted into powerful hind legs with clawed talons that burst through his black combat boots. His blonde buzz-cut disappeared as more course fur overtook his body and his face became deformed and monstrous. Large ears stuck out from the sides of his head and a pig-like snout replaced his human features and his teeth, especially his canines, protruded out and became razor-sharp as he let out a screeching roar now resembling something of a monstrous man-bat sort of creature. Caught off guard by this unexpected metamorphosis, Blood Hummer took a small step back.

"What the hell?" Deldro exclaimed in mild disgust.

"Wasn't expecting that," Hummer could only reply mildly stunned. The now man-bat-looking Blood Breed smirked wider before he spoke in his still Russian-accented voice that was now much deeper and more warped than before.

"You should be honored. I only show this form to those I deem worthy or irritating enough to slay," he snarled. "Now, let's see just how well those mediocre skills compare to my full strength before I break you open and tear you apart!" Moving at an astounding speed despite the larger and bulkier form, the monstrous Blood Breed quickly closed the distance and launched a right hook towards Blood Hummer's head. Reacting quickly Blood Hummer brought his arms up to guard against the blow but was surprisingly pushed back with such great force that he went tumbling across the stone ground.

"Urk, looks like this guy's way stronger now," Hummer muttered, head spinning a bit from the hard impact as he recovered and brushed himself off.

"Shit, guess we got our work cut out for us. Forget the strategy we came up with Dog, if I expose you again, even to dodge an attack, it'll be the end for both us. Just stay in my guts and let me handle this guy," Deldro commented. Hummer was silent but Deldro could tell from his body's biorhythms that while he wasn't happy with the decision, he understood. Quickly rising to his feet, Blood Hummer reinforced his entire exoskeleton with a thick sheen of red, hardened blood, opting for defense and extra power rather than speed, before he rushed back into the fight and both opponents' fists collided with a powerful punch that created a strong shockwave.  
_

The slender Blood Breed seemed to have his work cut out for him as he tried to maintain the element of surprise with his speed to continue launching high-speed surprise attacks. He sprinted around Steven and K.K. in zigzag patterns, even going so far as to jump off walls to gain leverage and height, before bringing his claws down aiming for Steven. However K.K. was able to intercept the attack with a point blank shot between the eyes, stunning the Breed enough for Steven to get out of the way as he finished his follow through swipe. Frustrated, the slender Breed regenerated and doggedly persisted with another follow-up attack of claws. However the scar-faced man was ready and promptly brought an ice-laden foot up to catch the clawed hand and ice began to trail up the Breed's arm before kicking him away and bringing his other leg up and performing a butterfly kick to shatter the Breed's arm. The slender Breed let out a yowl and retreated back to regenerate his arm while narrowly avoiding the electrically charged bullets sent his way. Once more he tried the same tactic of speed to confound his opponents, bounding and weaving amongst obstacles and between fallen rubble before attempting to strike this time at K.K. from behind in her blind spot. Steven saw this and reacted accordingly by again freezing the ground underneath the Breed's feet and causing him to slip and falter just enough for K.K. to catch the Breed with the heel of her boot kicking his claws away before launching a few more shots that easily tore into the fleet-footed vampire.

Letting out a loud snarl in irritation, the slender Blood Breed dug his claws deep into the icy ground beneath and using a surprising amount of strength managed to upturn a massive chunk of icy concrete and flip it towards the two. Steven easily destroyed the rock of concrete by summoning a massive icicle spike to puncture through the rock only for it to be revealed as cover for the Breed who dashed through the smoke with claws extended. However, his red eyes widened in shock as he found himself staring down the sparking barrels of K.K.'s pistols, as she easily saw through and predicted the motion. She fired of a single shot simultaneously from both pistols causing the surprised vampire to narrowly avoid having his brains splattered as he leapt back away before he suddenly found himself impaled by an icicle from behind letting out a wounded cry as ice crystallized over his skin. As he struggled to break free he soon took notice of the generation of light causing him to look down and widen his eyes in mild panic at K.K. who was charging up her electricity for an especially formidable attack before taking aim at the skewered adversary.

"954 Blood Bullet Arts: Levin Ballet 10,000!" This blasted the Blood Breed and icicle he was stuck on nearly to pieces in a shower of electric-powered bullets turning the area around him into a high-charged terrain of crumbling ice and arching electricity. He let out a pained and aggressive roar before what was left of him retreated away out of the resulting smoke and steam before leaping up and latching onto a tall chunk of semi-solid concrete a good distance away to recover.

"Blasted Fang Hunters!" the slender Breed snarled and slowly the gaping holes billowed with steam as he regenerated with a visible charge of electricity still coursing through him. "Don't think you've gotten the best of me with those petty tricks."

" _You're_ one to be talking about petty tricks," K.K. retorted. The vampire could only growl in frustration as the rest of him finished repairing itself. Suddenly a nasty grin slowly stretched across his face.

"Fine then, how about something a little bit more unpredictable hmm?" Warily Steven and K.K. watched as the slender Blood Breed hunched over and several bladed spikes protruded through his black clothes and all over his body, arms and, most noticeably, along his legs and feet shredding his shoes completely to ribbons. They also quickly noted that both his toes and even his former fingernails/claws became much more thick and knife-like morphing and extending down his digits to make a deadly assortment of razor-sharp extremities. The slender Blood Breed gave them a slightly unhinged smirk before launching at full speed off his perch and directly towards the duo. Reacting on instinct, Steven again flared his ice abilities out from the soles of his feet and froze the floor before them but this time their opponent was ready.

"That won't work on me again," the vampire confidently declared as he hit the ice without hesitation. Instead of slipping and sliding over it like before, the Breed used his claws like an ice pick to pick up traction, even on the frozen surface as he adjusted his pace slightly and began gliding over the ice in long, graceful strides almost like he was ice skating. Cursing at the sudden and unexpected adaptation, Steven quickly reacted by unleashing a flurry of icicle spikes to act as both an offensive deterrent as well as obstacles hoping to slow the Breed enough to buy them some time to come up with some kind of counter strategy. Unfortunately the slender Blood Breed was well prepared and using the icicles as a base to leap from obstacle to obstacle was able to maneuver easily and quickly close the distance and lash out with a swipe of sharpened claws. Thankfully both Steven and K.K. were able to avoid it but the surrounding area around them suffered deep gouges cutting several inches deep into the cement in a wide arc.

"Shit, if we take even a grazing hit from that kind of attack, we'll loose too much blood to be able to act and that'll be it for us!" Steven blanched internally as he gazed at the resulting damage before quickly redirecting his attention back on the Breed. However once he did, he realized with horror that the slender Blood Breed had come too close to Steven for him to react and was within inches of getting gored. Thankfully K.K. was able to react and fire a few shots off at the vampire striking him with a mild charge to stun his movements and allow Steven time to retreat back.

"Get your damn head in the game Scarface!" K.K. shouted with pistol raised and still pointed at the enemy as Steven recomposed himself.

"You're right, thanks," Steven replied. The spiked, slender Breed managed to fight through the currents of electricity in his system and charge forward low to the ground while running his sharpened claws along the concrete to rake up chunks of concrete and debris before he hurled it at the two in a dirty trick acting as a makeshift smokescreen to blind them and have them drop their guard as they reacted accordingly. They took a few retreating steps back wiping away at their eyes to clear them of the dust and debris whilst trying to stay alert. Slightly panicked they glancing around to try and figure out where the devious vampire would pop up before they heard the sound of nails on concrete behind them far too late. Before they could react, K.K. was blindsided by the slender Breed with a vicious kick. While she managed to block it in time thanks to the slightly slower movements of the Blood Breed due to the electricity still coursing through his system, it did little to deter the sharp bladed spikes that punctured the skin on her arms that she had brought up to act as a guard and she was sent sprawling back and losing her grip on one of her pistols which clattered and skidded across the ground. In retaliation, Steven grit his teeth and immediately created an ice ramp with stable enough footing to allow himself quick and safe access to close the distance between himself and the spiked slender Breed for a surprise attack before leaping off at the ice ramp's peak to gain more air and momentum for his attack.

"Espada del Cero Absoluto!" He exclaimed as he lashed out with a kick at the Breed, which at first, seemingly struck home as he was showered with several sharpened chunks of ice, some of which were successful in hitting their mark, as he touched back down on the ground. Unfortunately, the Breed's speed and extra agility added in part to the extra traction of the spiked blades along his feet helped him to anchor and pivot in place more effectively thus skillfully avoiding the worst of the damage each before again he quickly closed the gap. The Blood Breed lashed out with another kick with protruding blades and Steven reacted in turn again casing his leg in ice to act as a guard but as limbs collided, the ice shattered and blades punctured his skin drawing blood. Steven grunted in pain before he was gradually overpowered and sent tumbling back. K.K. by this time had managed to shake off the damage and recollect her fallen pistol to give Steven cover as she reloaded and fired off a flurry of electrified rounds. However again, the slender Breed's agility proved too effective and the shots barely grazed him before he again charged the two baring his claws. In a combination attack of ice and electricity, Steven and K.K. unleashed their abilities to counter and subsequently blast off the vampire's arms causing him to skid backwards from the collision. Momentarily hindered but obviously undeterred, the slender Blood Breed sneered and began to slowly regenerate his lost limbs as Steven and K.K recollected themselves.

"Tch, this guy's even more of a pain then he was before," K.K. growled training her dual pistols on the recovering menace before them.

"Yeah, that adjusted speed of his is going to make things trickier than before," Steven admitted as he winced on his injured leg. "Even so, we can't give him even an inch on us!"

"No shit. Just don't bleed out on me Starphase," K.K. quipped hotly.

"Same to you," Steven replied coolly as they met the regenerated Breed halfway with Steven going high with a close with a combat icy kick and K.K. going low with a long-range barrage of bullets.  
_

With a surge of fire and the assistance of gusting winds, the female Breed had been steadily taking more and more damage that was getting harder to recover from. The newest blast of fire she received from Zapp's blade left her almost entirely charred but incensed as she struggled to regenerate and she immediately directed her rage at him. She charged at him before leaping into the air and performing a diving tackle down onto him with sharpened nails looking to tear into him. Fortunately, Zapp was able to avoid this by leaping backwards but when he went to retaliate with another swing from Homuramaru he found that she had quickly disappeared. As he searched for her, he was suddenly blindsided with a hypersonic shriek that knocked him back. Again he dug his weapon into the ground for purchase but the unexpected force of the concussive waves made his head spin. Seeing this as her opportunity she lunged at him again with gaping mouth and bearing her fangs looking to rip out Zapp's throat.

It was then that Zed intervened by using his Piercing Dragon Spear to block her by wedging the shaft of his spear into her mouth to keep her from unleashing another high-pitched scream or biting down onto his fellow teammate. Using as much strength as he could, Zed jerked his trident to the right at a harsh angle attempting to try and snap her neck sideways to throw her down onto the ground while incorporating his wind into the attack so that she impacted it with even greater force. After dislodging her mouth from the shaft of his spear, he then twirled it around so that the prongs were pointed downwards and he drove it through her chest causing her to screech in pain and holding her in place face up. The female Blood Breed writhed for a moment before angrily launching another hypersonic shriek aimed directly at Zed who was blown back towards some fallen rubble and causing his Piercing Dragon Spear to dissolve from the rattled concentration. However before he made impact several blood threads came out of nowhere to catch and slow Zed's flight path enough for the fish man to drop to the ground and regain his bearings. Quickly shaking his head to clear his senses, Zed managed to snap out of his minor stupor relatively easily before glancing to Zapp (who had obviously been responsible for the act of assisting Zed).

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Zapp replied without looking at him as he was more focused on the female Blood Breed before them who slowly got to her feet seething as the last of her wounds regenerated. The two Big Dipper Style students went immediately on guard as Zed reformed his trident.

"Blasted men! Why won't you two just die already?" She snarled. "You can't possibly think you can hold out against me forever can you?"

"Yeah, no. Actually by the looks of things, I'd say that it's _you_ who's up shit creek without a paddle here," Zapp retorted with a smirk.

"For once he's right. Despite how things appear currently, I'd say that we are the ones with the definitive upper hand," Zed declared.

"And what makes you think that?" She snapped in aggravation.

"Because that ungodly wail of yours is the only thing you seem to have going in your favor and I'm fairly certain you don't have the mental capacity for much else other than making needless noise," Zed retorted flatly resulting in an amused snort from Zapp, which only seemed to further enrage the monstress. Her face contorted in fury before unleashing a more powerful screech sending shockwaves towards the duo, who quickly exchanged knowing glances and surprisingly rushed forward headlong towards the vampire. Even as the shockwaves and the high frequency pitched seemed to consume and slow them down slightly, somehow both Zapp and Zed now seemed to be completely unaffected by the noise as they kept charging forward at fast speeds.

"What?" the female Blood Breed exclaimed internally, caught so completely off guard by what she saw that she almost stopped mid-screech. She was so stunned that in fact she reacted too late to avoid the double attack from both Zapp's Homuramaru and Zed's Piercing Dragon Spear combo attack that not only cut her clean in half but even sever some limbs from her body courtesy of the razor-edges winds produced on the follow-up of Zed's attack. After suffering from the initial savage attack, the female vampire quickly and literally pulled herself together to just barely avoid getting strung up by Zed's blood threads and ignited by Zapp's fire as she kicked herself away and retreated back several feet to hiss and regenerate.

"I-Impossible…How? How did you…?" She stammered both in alarm and confusion as the fury temporarily dissipated. Zapp gave her a cocky smirk.

"Did you really think we wouldn't be prepared the second time around for that damn hissy-fit screeching of yours?" She studied them for a moment with incredulousness before her red eyes landed on something she had failed to notice previously: a small metallic gleam residing in Zapp's ears that was hidden behind his white locks. A quick glance to the fish man revealed the same device wedged into the small, barely noticeable chamber of his ear canals on the side of his head.

"Those are…" She began as a semblance of realization crossed her features.

"Specially designed earplugs to block out high-frequency sound waves," Zed admitted seeing that there was no more point trying to hide their little secret now that she had spotted them. A mixture of both irritation and mild confusion crossed her features.

"But when did you—" she trailed off before her mind instantly thought back to the beginning of their fight. She recalled how when she avoided their dual Sky-Slicing Strands technique to bind and ensnare the three Breeds at once she retaliated with a high-pitched scream that sent them backwards and forced them to cover their ears. That was when she realized that they weren't just dropping their guards to protect their hearing but subtly insert the earplugs. It was then that she also realized, in hindsight, that all the previous attempts to stagger their senses were never quite as effective as during their very first encounter when they were so dazed they could barely get their bearings to fight back. Her stupefied expression slowly changed into a frustrated scowl that warped her expression into an ugly grimace. "You filthy Fang Hunters!" she spat. Zapp's cocky smirk grew a bit wider in response.

"And don't even think about trying to pry them away from us either. We won't let you get close enough to even try! Like Fish Face said before, this time it's _us_ who's got you beat!" He declared boldly pointing the tip of Homuramaru right at her accusingly while Zed just narrowed his eyes and directed his Piercing Dragon Spear's prongs towards her ready to go on the offensive. For a moment the female Blood Breed actually seemed at a loss, unsure of how to proceed as she took a half step back as even she knew that she no longer had any leverage on them physically before drooping her shoulders and tilting her head down. At first the two thought it was in defeat until they saw her shoulders tremble and a low chuckle was heard before it developed into a bout of laughter while tossing her head all the way back. Instantly getting a bad feeling about this, Zapp and Zed kept on their guard. When she finished her seemingly insane laughing fit, she then hunched forward, quickly dropping her head forward so that her wavy, black hair obscured any part of her face.

"So you think _the two of you_ have me beat, do you?" She questioned head still hanging down before she slowly glanced up to them through her hair, red eyes wide and wild as she peered with them with hate before they started to shimmer and unnatural light. Instantly knowing what she was attempting to do, both Zapp and Zed avoided eye contact with her but she wasn't having any of it. In a startling display of speed she rushed forward to close the distance and instinctively their gazes snapped back in her general direction in order to react accordingly. They brought their sword and trident respectively up to strike back at her but both weapons were deflected with each hand and they had no choice but to gaze at the being before them but what they saw in her place was not quite the vampiric beauty any longer but a more monstrous version of her. Her skin was now dried, pale, and flaked off in chunks exposing rotten gray muscle underneath while her black, wavy hair seemed to flow and ebb like tendrils. Most noticeable though were her eyes; the sclera that was formerly white was now pitch black making her red irises stand out even more with the same unnatural shimmer during their first encounter. Both members felt themselves stiffen as they felt a foreign sensation start to forcibly enter their minds.

"I wonder then, if you both find it necessary to stand against me together, then which one of you two is the weakest link," she questioned in a slightly warped voice. As the shimmering light in her red eyes began to cause their senses to drift further away and dispel their weapons as a result, Zed somehow conjured enough willpower to force his body to move and shove Zapp out of her line of sight at the last moment before his mind was too far gone. This successfully snapped the Kagutsuchi Branch user out of it as he shook his head to clear the fog before looking back to notice that the female Breed was preparing to gore the hypnotized fish man with her nails. Reacting quickly, he summoned his blood threads forward to ensnare the monstress and pull her back away from Zed before flicking the switch of his lighter that was tightly grasped in his hand and the surge of flames engulfed her causing the female Blood Breed to reel back with a wail and break the hold she seemed to have on Zed. Blinking several times he staggered slightly resting his head in his hand also giving it a good shake to clear his senses while Zapp immediately went on the defensive.

"Great, we're dealing with this shit again," he grumbled as Zed reformed his weapon and got on the defensive as the female Breed tried to beat away at the dying flames that burned away at her. "So much for having the 'definitive upper hand.'"

"She's likely going to be much more cunning with her tactics now that she can't rely on her screeches to have the same impact as they did before," Zed analyzed. "If you have a plan, I'm open for suggestions." The two exchanged a long glance at each other before Zapp firmly and loudly declared his strategy.

"We hit her so fast and hard that she won't have time to use those freakin' brainwashing trick of hers!" Zed visibly glowered at the unwise and unabashed statement.

"Why am I not surprised that would be your response," Zed deadpanned.

"You have a better idea?" Zapp snapped. Before he could respond, the female Blood Breed let out a cackle and rushed at them with a flying drop kick that they barely avoided as her heel impacted the ground whether they had stood just previously creating a small crater. Zed grit his teeth not thinking of very many other options to resort to at that moment.

"Fine, we'll do it your way but we must avoid looking directly at her," Zed declared as he twirled his Piercing Dragon Spear before they both charged headlong at the female Blood Breed who gave them a taunting and flirty beckoning motion with her finger and sinister smirk.  
_

The tires of Patrick's jeep squealed as Patrick, Neyka and Lucky navigated carefully around and through several different battles following the Agasaya Mark Two that annihilated whatever Blood Breed it could get a lock on. Gilbert had also zoomed past them a couple of times as his combat car's Bethesda Firearms weapons system picked off whatever had remained or drew too close to the frontlines of the main battles.

"Yeah, we got 'em on the ropes now!" Patrick whooped from behind the wheel as Neyka who still operated the Agasaya's controls gave him an excited, toothy grin.

"Let's not get too carried away here," Lucky interjected with a stern frown. "Picking off the nuisances is one thing but we need to get back to Chain and Leonardo and act as a secondary line of defense for them too." Wincing at the reminder, Patrick immediately obliged and cranked the wheel and sped his jeep back in the direction of the protective Keilbarrikade followed by their destructive toy. Chain scoured the scene keeping her head on a swivel every other second until the squealing of tires caught her attention instantly putting her on guard. However when she saw who it was she instantly relaxed.

"About time you made it back," she commented hotly as they turned their car sideways allowing it to skid to a halt parking a couple meters away as the Agasaya drifted and did a full 180 around them operated by Neyka before she directed it back into the fray.

"What? We were keeping 'em away," Patrick tried to innocently explain while Neyka focused entirely on operating the Agasaya's controller. "How's Leo?"

"How do you think?" she snapped directing her gaze down to the injured and bloody, panting state the young lad was still in.

"Shit," Patrick numbly mumbled jovial attitude now gone as he took in the sorry sight.

"The point is that we're here now," Lucky tried to calmly reason before glancing back to the melee. "And on a positive note, it looks like we're pushing them back. As long as Klaus and the others are able to keep the main threats busy and the King of Depravity's beasts can handle the lesser Breeds, we can—" Lucky was then interrupted as a series of clangs and distinct sound of groaning metal was heard from almost overhead.

Whipping their heads up to the noise, the small group paled as they saw a larger, stronger-looking Lower Class Blood Breed that would have resembled something similar to an orc, were it not apparently in the process of melting from the inside out thanks to the potent venom apparently running through its system. Steam billowed from its form and chunks of skin and muscle seemed to dissolve more and more, slopping off it with every step as it took as it stalked along the metal walkway with heavy steps before a gargled growl came from its deformed, fanged mouth having finally sensed its prey. With a roar, it leapt up onto the metal railing before lunging down towards Lucky, Patrick, Neyka, Chain and Leo. On instinct, both Chain and Patrick pulled out their respective personal weapons (though Patrick's looked more like some sort of alien looking ray gun that crackled with energy rather than a typical handgun) but before they could fire off a single shot, something else darted past them from behind and intercepted the half-melted Blood Breed. A lone, though clearly injured, demon beast tackled the Lower Class Breed in mid-air knocking them a good distance away with a snarl before it dug its teeth and claws into the vampire attempting to rip it apart before preparing to strike again with its stinger tail. However the Lower Class Blood Breed, in a frantic and desperate last attempt to escape, used its lingering overwhelming strength to clamp down on the demon beast's throat tearing a good chunk away just as the beast plunged its tail and injected its venom. A spurt of blood spilled from the creature's throat as almost immediately it started to succumb to its newest and previous injuries and it began to faintly pulsate a red energy. Knowing what was coming Lucky shouted to them all in warning.

"Get down!" he cried ducking down and covering his head. Instantly the others heeded his warning and followed in suit. Both Patrick and Neyka covered their heads and sunk down as low as they possibly could in their seats while Chain threw herself over the unconscious Leo and diluted them both to the most basic degree so they would phase through whatever came their way. Sure enough, the demon beast detonated killing both itself as well as the barely alive Blood Breed as chunks of flesh and viscera exploded outwards spraying everything in the surrounding area with innards and a mixture of red and purple body fluids violently rocking Patrick's jeep, splattering against the Keilbarrikade, and even reaching even up to the weakened catwalk overhead. A second later, Lucky and the others slowly uncovered themselves (and undiluted themselves in Chain's case) and surveyed the area around them for any extra enemies or damage. Patrick instantly checked over his jeep by standing up from his seat and grimacing.

"Nasty! This is gonna be a pain to clean," he grumbled before sitting back in his seat and his expression changed from slightly annoyed to relieved patting the dashboard. "But at least she ain't damaged." Lucky and even Neyka gave him unimpressed sideways glances before again the groaning of metal overhead caught their attention. Instantly thinking it was another Blood Breed, they quickly glanced up only to see something almost worse.

The nuts and bolts keeping the metal catwalk system intact overhead was groaning and straining as between old age, the recent and constant use of the system overhead and coupled with the relentless shockwaves and apparently acidic remains (judging by the steam and audible sizzling that came off from the corroded metal) of the demon beast's innards and venom, it could take no more. One by one, they snapped or broke off completely connecting the large catwalk system to the ceiling overhead causing it to shudder and jerk violently as it fought against the gravity as best it could before finally, with such a loud groan that resonated throughout the massive room that everyone could hear it, the heavy metal catwalk began to slowly give way along with almost everything else connected to it as cracks traveled up the walls and to the ceiling. Patrick quickly put the car back into gear and hit the gas pedal but as soon as he did the engine inexplicably stalled and the car engine shut off. Hastily he tried to restart the car but the engine would not turn over.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Patrick cursed as internally he realized the demon beast's detonation did more damage to his jeep than he initially thought. The old and worn down metal twisted and snapped breaking away before it came down bringing down the section it was attached to along with concrete rubble from the walls and ceiling, which in turn weakened the next row's catwalk system to come down starting a kind of domino effect and they braced themselves to be crushed. Thankfully, whether it was due in part to how they were coincidently parked or due to some divine intervention (or more than likely a certain someone's "good luck" that somehow extended to them in that instance), the place where they had parked happened to be in a blind spot as the falling metal section collapsed around them without touching them or the jeep as the three members sighed with relief even as they protected themselves from the crumbling chunks of dirt and debris. However the same couldn't quite be said for everyone else.

Like a massive wave of falling metal catwalk and crumbling stone from the weakened ceiling above, section after section of the walkway came down as the sound of groaning metal now overtook the snarls and noises of battle. Everyone who was fighting, both Libra, Blood Breed and demon beast alike, instantly ceased their immediate actions and ran to take cover either up against the walls and sides or under anything sturdy they could find to avoid the collapsing wreckage though some parties weren't so fortunate. Several Lower Class Blood Breeds who suffered from being wounded or poisoned were unable to react in time and were instantly crushed along with one or two demon beasts that were too exhausted or injured to escape causing them to detonate almost as soon as they were buried acting like improvised landmines further adding to the destruction. The Agasaya Mark Two that Neyka had tried to operate to safety was left to take some rather considerable damage even with its heavy plating (much to Patrick's visible dismay as he saw the dents and sparks of metal coming from both the chassis and extended weapons). Gilbert and his Nautilus were in the same boat as he expertly weaved amongst the falling debris to avoid serious damages whilst trying not to hit any obstacles, be they wreckage or other fleeing parties. Even Sonic, who had been hiding in the rafters overhead the whole time and had been constantly observing everything occurring below, had to scramble and leap from crumbling perch to crumbling perch to find a safe haven until the terrible quaking and fighting had stopped. Unfortunately there were two people in particular who were unable to avoid the falling debris given the position they were in.

As heavy metal beams and rubble rained down on the makeshift Keilbarrikade fortress shielding Leo and Chain, Klaus could feel the subtle internal strain weigh on him amongst his other injuries in his clash with Pain. Glancing over from his spot against the far wall (and under a decently sized blood cross that protruded out from a slab of concrete to act as cover) to where his Keilbarrikade was located he saw the noticeable cracks that were present prior start to grow larger unbeknownst to the two inside its protective confines as wreckage slowly piled on top. Reacting accordingly, Klaus unleashed a steady stream of blood from his knuckleduster's nozzle that flowed out and fed into the damaged barrier in an attempt to patch the cracks and stabilize it. This however proved difficult as one particularly large metal rafter fell directly on top of it creating even more cracks among the giant blood crosses and Klaus felt the impact as a dull throb throughout his body as he grunted and willed out even more blood out to repair it. Unfortunately both Klaus' actions and his noticeable strain did not go unnoticed by Pain who observed from his position latched up against the wall on all fours and using his wings as a makeshift shield to protect himself a good distance away. Finally the falling wreckage from overhead slowly subsided and when all was said and done, about only one-fourth of the catwalk system remained intact overhead, some of it connected, others still somehow barely hanging by a thread while the battlefield itself was now almost completely trashed leaving several of the abandoned supplies in the room either broken apart, spilled open or left even more worse for wear than before. Relaxing a little now that the worst was hopefully over, Klaus unconsciously relaxed slightly until he felt a strong presence rush at him from behind. He had no choice but to quickly break off the stream of blood that was still working on solidifying and he turned to block a flying kick from Pain with his crossed forearms that sent him sliding back several feet. The Elder Class Breed chuckled coldly, an unsettling grin stretching across his face as Klaus shifted back into his usual battle stance.

"I think I've figured out your weakness Fang Hunter," he informed in a smug tone as he stood up straight and put his hands behind his back almost in a professional yet condescending manner. "Aside from your obvious humanity, do you know what your problem is?" He waited for Klaus to respond but the larger man only continued to glare at him. "I believe there's a term for your disposition. Let's see, I believe it's called…ah yes, _sympathy_ ," he spat out the last word as if it was a disgusting taste in his mouth before continuing. "You are too focused on the minuscule things around you rather than focusing on what's going on right in front of you. So much so that it can be quite self-destructive, like so."

Pain's eyes flicked to his left where a metal coil was pulled taut and trapped under some rubble on one end while the other extended upwards and his pronged tail lashed out slicing it clean through. The taut coil then unraveled and Klaus' eyes quickly followed the line up back into the rafters where it had been tangled around whilst barely supporting up one of the few lengths of catwalk that had not fallen previously. However now that that coil had been cut, there was nothing left to prevent gravity and the weight of the precariously balanced metal from taking over and it fell…swinging directly down towards the unstable Keilbarrikade where Chain and Leo resided. Widening his eyes in panic, Klaus quickly reacted by attempting to summon his Unzerbrechlich Kreuzschild to stop the collision but was stopped when he felt a strong hand sink its claws into his left shoulder hard enough to draw blood. This caused him to let out a strained grunt in pain before feeling himself get yanked back just as he saw and felt the impact of the metal catwalk slam full force into his Keilbarrikade. Another vague throb, albeit stronger than the last, radiated through him as the subtle internal strain was growing harder to maintain and the reinforced Keilbarrikade was again starting to show cracks.

"You see?" Pain mockingly asked as he raised his other hand, razor-sharp claws splayed out on full display. "Quite distracting, isn't it?" Pain swiped his claws down but Klaus reacted by reaching back with his own right hand and catching the Breed's arm, grasping it and twisting it so that it snapped with relative ease at the elbow joint. While not entirely releasing him, he loosened his grip enough so that Klaus could break away from the grip the claws had in his shoulder. Klaus then promptly turned to throw a vicious left hook but the Elder Class Breed leapt to the side and struck back with a solid kick to Klaus' side again sending him skidding back as he dug the soles of his shoes into the concrete to maintain his ground. After quickly composing himself Klaus went immediately on the offensive and charged Pain meeting him head on with a strong hammer fist that was countered relatively easily by a flap of the Breed's wings allowing him to go airborne and avoid the blow.

"It must take quite some effort, even for you, to maintain something like that barricade for so long and under such conditions," Pain declared cockily as he circled around him like a vulture circling its prey. "I wonder what your limit is," Pain rhetorically pondered aloud before changing course and dive-bombing Klaus with claws bared.

This time Klaus was the one who avoided the attack by leaping away to the side leaving the Blood Breed to impact and splinter the concrete underneath. Pivoting on his heels once his feet made contact with the ground again, Klaus quickly lunged forward and swung his left fist into the cloud of smoke before the Breed could react and this time successfully managed to land a hit to the Breed's cheek that sent him skidding backwards, claws from both hands and feet carving into the cement ground. Klaus pursued him preparing to perform a follow-up move but was instead nearly skewered by Pain's pronged tail that aimed directly at his face. Klaus barely stepped to the side in time to avoid this but it did not stop Pain's tail from quickly retracting and whipping around to land another cheap swipe across Klaus' back, further tearing apart his clothing and drawing more blood. Again Klaus felt the sharp prickle of unpleasant pain sear through him stunning him enough to the point that he barely missed getting kneed right in the face as he ducked underneath to avoid the blow. Klaus then took advantage of his position to grab the Elder's leg with both hands and hurl him as far away as he could to gain some distance whilst he recovered as to his great concern he internally felt the control over the structure of the Keilbarrikade start to waver again. The blood crosses once more momentarily lost their luster and the lingering cracks began to audibly creak and spider web out. He attempted to recompose himself enough to will his Keilbarrikade to stay standing before he was quickly blindsided by Pain who didn't want to give him the opportunity. Klaus deflected Pain's sharp talons when he parried the kick with his gauntlet-clad right arm and prepared to summon a blood cross with the knuckleduster in his left from the ground underneath to skewer the vampire in midair but the Blood Breed proved to be slippery and he avoided this by again flapping his wings once to propel him into the air before nimbly flipping up and over him before landing a solid kick to his wounded back that sent Klaus nearly sprawling forward as he tumbled and rolled onto his knees to try and recover.

From her position even hidden between the individual blood crosses making up their protective fortress, Chain saw all of this and knew the smug prick was attempting to drive Klaus into a corner and push his limits to their weakest point. And from the sounds the protective Keilbarrikade was making and the way the shimmering red blood started to subtly fade, she knew that it was steadily working. Klaus was spread too thin to be able to maintain their temporary sanctuary for long with those accumulating injuries while simultaneously being expected to fight back at full strength. She glanced up to the small chunks of dirt and rubble that were starting to fill in through the small cracks before looking back down to the trembling and panting Leo next to her as the light of his curse runes pulsed in the shadows of their failing safe haven.

"This place isn't going to hold much longer. I have to get Leo out before it comes down and we get crushed. But his injuries…" Chain hesitated in her musings before the sound of a crash refocused her attention back to Klaus and Pain's scuffle. Klaus had somehow now trapped the Blood Breed's tail under a heavy chunk of rubble and he had the Breed in a vice-like grip by the shoulders with both hands before quickly releasing his left hand and attempting to deliver a quick punch to the Breed's face but the vampire quickly ducked under it and landed a swift blow to Klaus' unguarded stomach. Unable to help but let out an audible "oof" from the hit, Klaus tried to regain his breath and composure placing one hand over where he was struck and immediately retreated back just in time for the King of Pain to take another swipe at him with his claws that aimed for his stomach. Thankfully the Elder Breed's trapped tail kept him held back just enough for Klaus to narrowly avoid the tips of his claws by jumping back. With an annoyed frown, the King of Pain quickly pulled his appendage loose and he turned back to the red-haired man with a sneer. He then lunged at Klaus, aiming his body low to the ground as he raised his pronged tail with the clear intention of running him through. Klaus got ready and stood his ground waiting for the Breed to get close. Once he had, Klaus punched the ground wordlessly summoning a Kreuzvernichterlanze with the intention of impaling the massive nuisance from below. What he did not expect however was the Elder Class Breed to predict this and in a fleet-footed maneuver managed to turn and sidestep the massive blood cross before darting around it.

Taken aback slightly by this, Klaus quickly refocused and brought his right forearm out to guard against the Blood Breed's incoming left that swiped at him before noticing the Blood Breed react by raising his right and preparing to land a punishing right hook. Preparing for this, Klaus lashed out with his left fist for a quick but strong follow-up jab to deflect it however this turned out to be a feint on Pain's part. At the same time Pain threw out his right, he also lashed out his tail, whipping it around and attempting to plunge into Klaus' left flank. Klaus' eyes widened and he twisted his body at the last moment to avoid the sneak attack as best he could but could not avoid it entirely. Pain's jagged pronged tail slashed the sensitive skin of the old wound that resided there (ironically the same wound he got upon first meeting Leo a little over a year ago) as it reopened and blood instantly began to stain his waistcoat. Gritting his teeth, this time Klaus could not help but let out the smallest of groans between the pain from the overlapping injuries and the additional, abnormal wave of searing agony that coursed through him brought on by the Elder vampire. He retreated back clutching his side as this time it also seemed to take longer for him to recover. Again he felt the internal strain of the Keilbarrikade grower heavier and his control began to slip further away from him as the lustrous Keilbarrikade dulled ever so dangerously that it began to tremble and waver. He did his best to reassume control but it was no use. He was too focused on trying to maintain the protective barricade's stability that he was again almost blindsided by another swipe from Pain's tail. Once more he managed to barely avoid it but still got slashed across his chest (thankfully while a shallow injury though it still drew a decent amount of blood) and the following pang of torment broke his concentration completely. The Keilbarrikade finally cracked and shattered dispersing into tendrils of blood before the rubble that was being held up collapsed down onto where Leo and Chain resided.

"No!" Klaus couldn't help but exclaim in evident panic as he turned his attention to where the formerly impenetrable fortress resided as the dust began to settle. However he then shortly observed Chain reappear back into reality just beyond where they once resided along with Leo, who she clutched protectively in her arms whilst kneeling, having just barely made it out in time. She looked to her leader and gave him a nod of reassurance, silently confirming his suspicions that they were both unhurt. Klaus let out a small sigh of relief and his anxiety quelled a little before a solid punch to his jaw snapped him back into reality as he took a few steps backward from the hard blow.

"There you go again, showing that pathetic _sympathy_ of yours," the King of Pain taunted. "You did this with your Fang Hunter henchmen before too but now you waste your time on _him_?" He gave a harsh bark of fake laughter. "It's actually quite sad that you would go so far out of your way to protect such a troublesome tool." Though wounded and fatigued, Klaus was nowhere close to being ready to relent in his fight or be beaten. Taking a moment to recollect his thoughts and reel in his weariness and growing hostility (particularly towards the reference of the word "tool"), he breathed in calmly before releasing it and getting mentally back into the fight once more as he narrowed his eyes and silently resumed his battle stance. "It must be aggravating for you, having to constantly defend the life of such a pathetic and weak brat just because of the power he wields," Pain paused briefly as an insincere smile crossed his face. "So why don't I just get rid of that burden for you." The second the last word left his mouth, Klaus felt his formerly narrowed eyes widen slightly and instantly prepared to react only for Pain to use his tail to tear up the ground around them creating a spray of dust and debris to disorient Klaus before sneaking in another cheap shot to his stomach causing him to double over slightly from having the wind momentarily knocked out of him before kicking him away in his wounded chest.

"You really do let your guard down too much when it comes to others Fang Hunter," Pain sneered at Klaus. In a burst of unexpected speed the King of Pain then bolted away, seemingly leaving Klaus behind in the dust as he instead focused his attention on his new prey. Chain, who was observing the whole interaction from afar, widened her eyes in panic at the oncoming threat. Knowing she would not be able to dilute the both of them safely away in time, she instinctively went on the defensive by quickly pulling her pistol out and opening fire to keep the twisted bloodsucker away. Several shots missed their mark and the few that did hit (including a point blank shot right between the eyes) were obviously as effective as shooting through cardboard as it did nothing to stop him and Pain was able to reach them without any difficulty. He smacked Chain away with the back of his clawed hand causing her to drop her pistol and sending her flying nearly several dozen feet away rolling across the floor before crashing into a slab of fallen concrete. This knocked her out cold almost instantly as her head hit the stone and she slumped down onto her side. Pain's serpentine red eyes then drifted down to where the spasming and unconscious Leo lay, still trapped in his steel link binds, and he reached one hand down to grab him. However a large hand grabbed Pain's wrist in a literal bone-crushing grip preventing him from doing so. Pain glanced up in mild surprise to see a dangerous gleam in Klaus' emerald eyes and his face was contorted in a barely restrained expression of savage anger. Klaus grabbed the front of Pain's black muscle tank top and pitched him with relative ease over his shoulder and slamming him down onto the stone ground with such force that the impact from Pain's body left a crater and the Blood Breed actually lost his breath and the bones in his ribcage snapped like twigs. As his body rebounded from the impact, time seemed to slow down for a split second allowing the vampire to notice Klaus' incoming left fist that socked him right in the jaw, snapping it again and sending him flying backwards crashing into a pile of fallen debris and kicking up dust. However Klaus wasn't finished yet as he reeled his left fist back and red light gleamed from his weapon's nozzle as he declared his next attack.

"Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique, Form 02: Schrotflinte!" Several crosses were generated in a swirl of blood before being launched at incredible speeds and with devastating force decimating the wreckage where Pain lay and blasting the sadistic Blood Breed almost to nothing. Blood splattered everywhere and smoke from the destroyed concrete surrounding him began to rise from the smoldering wreckage before Klaus instantly turned his attention to Leo, kneeling down to gently lift him up and check him over for any additional injuries or markings. Thankfully there was none and Klaus let out another small relieved sigh just before the rubble where Pain resided shifted and the Elder Breed stumbled out standing on one leg. His clothes were now almost completely shredded and dirty as his entire body regenerated in a cloud of steam from the massive gaping holes that made him look like nothing less than living Swiss cheese as he regenerated what was his missing of his body. However the Elder Class Breed gave a small, distorted chuckle despite the heavy damages that was clearly causing him some degree of difficulty and even discomfort as Klaus' purifying blood combated against the vampire's abnormally fast healing capabilities.

"Seems like I struck a nerve eh?" Pain managed to get out after his face had regenerated a bit more. Klaus did not reply right away but instead gently set Leo back down before rising to his feet.

"It's true that I mistakenly let my guard down too many times before," Klaus admitted tightly clenching his fists. "But I can assure you, that _will not_ happen again," he said in a dangerously low voice before slowly turning and looking back with a vicious glare, his bright emerald green eyes contracted and boring daggers into Pain's very soul. "As long as I am present, you will never lay a single finger on him again!" He growled again retaking his usual battle stance. "Furthermore, I'd like to make something else very clear: Leonardo is _not_ a tool. His life is neither pathetic nor insignificant and there are abilities beyond his eyes that make him invaluable not just to Libra but to everyone else he comes in contact with. His light _cannot_ and _will not_ be corrupted by the likes of you!" Pain was silent for a moment as his injuries continued to slowly regenerate more and more before he again let out a loud, bellowing fit of condescending laughter.

"You really are quite a foolishly optimistic Huma aren't you? Not to mention clueless since you clearly don't really know anything about that whelp at all." Klaus's brow subtly creased in apparent confusion and distrust as he narrowed his eyes. Pain took the opportunity to elaborate further. "I'll actually be the first to admit that when I initially first found him, what instantly drew me to him wasn't just his eyes, it was his suffering. All the pain he has and is still enduring and how he oh so desperately tries to hide that desolation, letting it fester so deep down inside so that no one can see…well, no one aside from myself of course. That constant churning of negativity drew me to him like a beacon and it helps to sustain me. His doubts and fears, his self-loathing, his insecurities and misery; it's simply delicious!" The King of Pain gave a terrifyingly wide smile that bordered on deranged and hearing his enthusiasm made Klaus' stomach churn in disgust.

"And why wouldn't he feel like that?" Pain continued, his injuries now almost close to being entirely healed. "After all, he is in essence a Huma that the Gods decided would be nothing more than an instrument to be used by those who seek power and control. And you Fang Hunters are ultimately no different." This statement caused Klaus' knuckles to turn white as he tightly clenched both his fists and grit his teeth feeling his temper rise.

"That's not true at all," Klaus declared calmly but firmly.

"Isn't it?" Pain replied clearly skeptical. "Then let me ask you something, if you truly care for him and his wellbeing, then why does he keep getting into the kinds of situations that he does? Granted it may be his fate to constantly fall victim to being targeted for his eyes, but if you all were truly more mindful of his wellbeing and safety, wouldn't it be a simple matter for such an influential organization like Libra to have more restrictions and precautions placed around him to monitor him and ensure his protection, or is it too much of a hassle?" Klaus knew full well Pain was just trying to get under his skin and he wouldn't let him. Even so…why did he still feel a twinge of guilt? Klaus shook his head slightly trying to ignore those thoughts and stand unyielding. He wouldn't let Pain get into his head but it proved difficult as Pain continued.

"Even when all this began do you want to know what kind of situation I found him in? Beaten and robbed by thugs after he had already suffered physical injury on the frontlines _you lot_ dragged him into. Where were you all then hmm? Who knows, if you were actually there, not only could you have saved him from that instance, but you could have easily stopped me and prevented all this from happening in the first place." That time Klaus could not prevent the smallest of unintentional flinches that visibly tensed his whole body. Almost subconsciously he thought back to how he felt in the hospital when they were still trying to figure out what was wrong with Leo. His mind then replayed the events in which he noticed Leo's distress prior to all this but disregarded his concerns, forcing him into accompanying the confrontation with the Blood Breed at the mall and pushing him into unwittingly allowing the curse to become active. That reminder of his carelessness cut very deeply for the large man, His former guilt that he had tried to suppress had returned and was increasing by the second though he tried not to let it show. Unfortunately Pain instantly picked up on the subtle shift in Klaus' behavior and a feral grin nearly split the vampire's face as he finally finished regenerating.

Capitalizing on Klaus' distraction, Pain's tail wrapped a small chunk of fallen concrete and flung it at the Brain Grid user. While slightly delayed, Klaus snapped out of his musings and reacted as quickly as possible using his knuckleduster to destroy the chunk of rock with a single punch and resulting in a plume of dust. He thought he had narrowly avoided disaster as the cloud cleared only to realize that it was apparently another distraction for something much bigger and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw. Pain had taken the opportunity of the misdirection to hurl a much larger portion fallen debris, one with protruding broken pipes and sharp jagged edges, that was dangerously close to crushing them both. With little time to think and even less time to act given the short distance of the impact, Klaus did the only thing he could think of.

The sound of a distant though resounding crash finally caused Leo to sluggishly stir to life. As his consciousness tried to fight through the dense fog in his brain, slowly his thoughts started to take shape and at first there was only one thing he could register.

"It hurts…everything hurts…why does everything hurt?" He rambled internally, unsure whether he should try to move or not. Suddenly Leo felt something foreign to him besides the pain that seemed to run rampant through his body: something wet and warm that dripped onto his cheek. "Is that…water…? No, this is…" The faint smell of copper wafted through his nostrils and both his mind and body started to steadily become more coherent. Slowly Leo forced his eyelids apart and waited for his blue, luminous eyes to adjust as slowly his vision came to him. Another drop of red crimson dripped onto Leo's cheek from an open wound on the head of a large figure kneeled over him apparently shielding him with his body against a massive chunk of concrete that had been mostly blocked by a sturdy blood cross (though some of the protruding metal and jagged edges had still managed to make contact after colliding into the makeshift blockade and draw blood from the figure). Though still bleary-eyed Leo instantly recognized the rich red hair and distinct fanged under bite of the person crouched protectively over him as a faint light reflected off his cracked glasses.

"K-Klaus?" Leo thought though he could not will his mouth to move or speak. The Libra leader grunted in clear discomfort from his added injuries but nevertheless forced the summoned blood cross to shove the crumbling heap of stone away as it fell apart before allowing the cross to disperse. Klaus then turned away from Leo (apparently unaware that Leo had finally regained consciousness) and rose to his feet to shoot a defiant and angry glare towards the last person Leo wanted to see causing a subtle shiver to run down his spine. The King of Pain stood with an arrogant smirk as he sized up Klaus' haggard state with sick amusement.

"How sentimental, risking your own safety for a living tool. Is Libra really that desperate to keep their hands on him and his eyes?" A pang of hurt stabbed Leo's heart at the cruel reminder and dejection slowly began worming its way through him. Klaus clenched his jaw and fists before taking a moment to compose his anger and speaking.

"As I said before, that is not at all true. And I do not need to vindicate our actions or explain or reasoning to you. Despite what you may believe, our excuses are not so superficial as to exploit what was forced upon him. Nevertheless we are prepared to fight for him." This caught Leo's attention and for a brief moment, confusion and something else Leo couldn't quite describe at the moment replaced his despair.

"…We?" Leo thought. That was when Leo then noticed the background noise around them. Snarls, gunshots and clanging of metal slowly reached Leo's ears as his body's senses started to become more acute. Ever so slightly, Leo lifted his head and his eyes, still drifting in and out of focus, glanced around to take in stock of what was happening around him.

Zapp and Zed were fighting together in a tag-team combination of fire and wind against the ghastly and withered form of the female Blood Breed who screeched her hypersonic shriek at them to try and push them back. Steven and K.K. were attacking and defending respectively with electrified lead and frozen kicks against the spiked, slender Blood Breed who came at them at high speed and from all angles unleashing vicious kicks and swipes of razor sharp claws. Blood Hummer was going toe to toe in a brutal fistfight with the burly man-bat Blood Breed as they both exchanged savage blows head on trying to beat the other into submission. Lucky, Patrick and Neyka were also not too far away, the former of which had managed to successfully rouse the formerly knocked out Invisible Werewolf and help her to safety as she nursed the nasty wound on her head. Patrick was firing off two (clearly over-customized) guns at once, one gripped in each hand, with a simultaneously elated and freaked out expression on his face while mowing down the remnants of one Breed after another whilst Neyka calmly operated what he vaguely recognized was the Agasaya Mark Two to fight off several swarming Blood Breeds just as Gilbert drove by them in his combat car leading a string of enemies away from the fight followed by several demon beasts. Leo's squinted eyes widened a little bit more upon seeing all this.

"They're…all fighting…for me?" He silently contemplated feeling a mixture of different emotions he still couldn't quite pinpoint at the moment. "…Why?" Before he could think or open his mouth to try and speak to get anyone's attention, an unimpressed scoff diverted his attention back to Klaus and Pain before him.

"Such nobility," the Elder Breed sarcastically quipped. "Courageously rushing into a desperate situation to save the life of a damned soul. It gets me so choked up I could just vomit," he expressed with evident distaste before switching to a tone of skepticism once more. "And you really think that laying your life on the line for someone as insignificant as him is the act of some greater reward? Ridiculous, your recklessness and overconfidence will be your downfall. The only value he holds is his eyes and you know it. He only exists to be used by those with the power to use the eyes to their fullest." His red, slitted eyes then immediately flicked to Leo making direct eye contact with him, (having apparently known that Leo had awake the whole time) and causing the young holder of the All-Seeing Eyes to involuntarily let out a small gasp and flinch with dread. A small, crooked grin appeared on the Elder vampire's face. "Allow me to demonstrate."

His red eyes flashed and instantly Leo felt the Maledictum's curse runes begin to glow brighter and throb harder in response as his body tensed and pain flared through him. Leo let out a strained cry and his eyes snapped open activating against his will as the seal-like lenses appeared over his eyes. Upon seeing Leo finally move out of the corner of his eye accompanied by hearing him cry out, Klaus instantly turned to look back at him exclaiming his name in concern before his senses were met with an explosion of nauseating colors. He stumbled back groaning as his vision was assaulted with sinister hallucinations and his world spun and tilted. He covered his face with his hands to ease the discomfort and try to rub his eyes to help ease his vision though to no avail. With a wicked, fanged grin, Pain could not contain his sadistic glee as he watched the large man before him cringe and grunt in clear distress.

"How does it feel, having your own vision stolen and manipulated so easily?" Pain gloated. "To have your sanity tested, unable to tell what is real and what isn't? To have your vulnerability so easily exposed? Such an ability that can bring even the strongest foe to his knees is truly something to fear. And that kind of power is wasted on such an inferior species like you!" Pain then rushed Klaus ready to tear into him and end it once and for all. Even through his disoriented state, Klaus' trained ears easily picked up on Pain's approach and his mind struggled to think of a way to escape the situation when he suddenly recalled something important; something his mentor had mentioned previously.

" _However there is a silver lining_ …" Now knowing what to do, Klaus dropped his hands from his face and he stood rigid and seemingly defenseless. Pain took this as a sign of defeat and grinned wider as he raised both his right hand and pronged tail in preparation to strike. While trying to ignore the nearly debilitating strain against his senses, Klaus focused entirely on his ears as he clenched his fists and waited for Pain to draw closer. Just as he was within arm's reach and the vampire launched the double attack, Klaus finally moved. He spun on his heels sidestepping and dodging both Pain's claws and tail before driving his right elbow back into the side of Pain's temple with a solid hit just as he recalled the rest of Lucky's words. " _This apparently causes him a great deal of strain and he doesn't seem to be able to maintain the connection for a prolonged period of time_."

"Which means he's more susceptible to a counter attack!" Klaus concluded mentally. Sure enough, the unexpected and strong blow caused the glow in Pain's red eyes to fade which in turn caused the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur's runes to cease and Leo's All-Seeing Eyes deactivated themselves leaving Leo spent and spluttering in exhaustion and further agony. Pain stumbled back slightly attempting to shake off the brain-rattling hit as that, coupled with the strain of forcing the curse's activation, left him momentarily weakened. Before he could act, Klaus' left fist collided into the Blood Breed's cheek in a powerful downward punch smashing him down into the concrete hard enough to not only form a crater but nearly split the Breed's head and brains open.

"You may know how to use them to some moderate degree," Klaus prefaced panting from the strain Leo's eyes had put on him as he pulled his fist away and took a cautious step back. "But I can't quite say you can use them at their 'fullest' like you so boldly claimed. The All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods are not, nor will they ever be, truly yours therefore you have limits. Between yourself and I'm guessing between the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur acting as some sort of medium you can't fully grasp control of Leonardo's capabilities as they are, can you?" It was at this point that Pain pulled himself out from the rubble, his entire head engulfed in a cloud of steam though even through the thin veil Klaus could see that Pain's neck was tilted at an inhumanely unnatural angle. Pain wrenched his broken neck back into its proper place once his head had fully regenerated as he glowered at Klaus.

"Hmph, you think you're so clever don't you Fang Hunter?" the Elder Class vampire questioned in visible irritation as he got back onto his feet. Then his irritation slowly slipped away and a sly, subtle smirk took its place. "Well they may not be mine yet, but they will be soon," he ominously informed. This caused Klaus's brows to furrow in evident wariness at the implication behind Pain's words. Meanwhile Leo's mind struggled to catch back up with him and his senses, which were still reeling from the strain of having his eyes' control usurped once again. Nearly delirious and completely exhausted from being constantly wracked with pain, Leo's newly regained consciousness was dangerously close to giving out again as his vision was steadily growing more and more unsteady but he still struggled to stay awake long enough by clinging to the words that were being spoken.

"If you think you're doing him a favor by protecting him then I'm almost sorry to say that _you_ are sorely mistaken," Pain began with a teasing smirk. "Fun fact: did you know that during his captivity he personally _admitted_ to me that he actually considers himself to be a tool? That he and his eyes were nothing short of a burden to him and everyone else around him as a result? Not to mention saying that someone as weak and helpless as him can't possibly be anything else other than a means to an end for someone else. Honestly, I think I'd be doing him a favor by putting him out of his misery once I get through with him. I mean think about it, to have your life dictated and over-written on a mere whim by higher beings and your only purpose in life that was once limitless now defined to be nothing short of a plaything. Carrying a weight like that on your shoulders would be enough to destroy any person's self-worth and without being able to confide in anyone who could possibly understand how he feels. So _tragic_! No wonder I was so drawn to his torment."

Pain's words seemed to have resounding affect on the semi-conscious Leo while Klaus' face remained stone cold and his expression remained largely unseen behind a ray of light that reflected off his glasses that had become slightly damaged during the course of events. Leo felt the familiar sensation of misery amongst the persistent and unrelenting waves of torment coursing through him and he curled in on himself as much as his abused body would allow.

"That's right…that's all I am, aren't I?" Leo thought as shadows of previous and darker memories danced in the back of his mind. "Even if I were to get out of here and survive somehow…what would change?" Leo felt his awareness start to fade away again.

" ** _It's pointless_**." A dark voice that did not sound like his own whispered as Leo's eyelids began to slowly close until a different, much more familiar voice, caught his attention.

"You're wrong." Klaus declared in a firm tone that held so much conviction and straightforward belief that Leo could not help but perk up a little in interest. His eyes slowly opened wider trying to cling to consciousness a little longer glancing up to Klaus who, though badly injured and semi-exhausted, stood tall and resolute. His bright, emerald eyes held a fire of blazing determination even behind damaged rectangular glasses as he stared the King of Pain down with every ounce of defiance he could physically muster. Said Elder Class Blood Breed only returned the glare with a mildly intrigued look of dubiety as Klaus took his typical battle stance clutching his knuckleduster a bit more tightly than necessary.

"I don't believe a word of what you say because I know otherwise. You use pain, be it physical, emotional or psychological, to manipulate and control others, to make them bend and break as you see fit. But there's something even you yourself don't seem to recognize about pain: it can be overcome. And it can make one stronger. The more that they struggle and persevere, the more that will tempers and strengthens to the point that nothing, not even mountains, can stand in their way." Klaus paused momentarily allowing Leo to let his words sink in before what Klaus said next took Leo by complete surprise. "And it's more than clear that, again, you've gravely misjudged Leonardo. He may struggle and falter more than others but he is by no means weak or helpless. He continuously strives forward, no matter how small the step or how great the setback, setting his gaze towards a goal and constantly fighting to make it a reality. That determination cannot be stopped by you nor anyone else…because he is by far one of the strongest people I know!" Hearing this nearly caused Leo's squinted eyes to almost shoot completely open in shock and tears slowly prickled the corners of his vision. However hearing these words seemed to have a much different effect on the King of Pain.

The former look of dubiousness had quickly darkened into one of scornful rage. Unexpectedly, Klaus' words caused Pain to briefly recall Leo's initial rebuffing of his attempts to break him several hours prior. Baring his fangs with a noticeable snarl Pain clenched his fists and shook trying to control his building rage at Klaus' bold and annoyingly defiant rebuttal and the unsatisfying memory.

"Is that so?" He growled venom almost dripping from his words as his red, serpentine eyes glared daggers at the Fang Hunter before him. "Then I'll have to personally see to it that I crush him as soon as I'm finished with you then, won't I?" With that, Pain beat his wings and took off towards Klaus who instantly countered by summoning and launching a rapid-fire Unzerbrechlich Kreuzschild to counter the clash and consequently sending the vampire crashing into the vampire into the far wall however temporarily. Not wanting to let the fight drag out any longer than it already had, Klaus pursued after the fallen Breed blindly trusting Lucky and the others to come along soon to protect Leo who just quietly stared at Klaus' wounded back in shock trying to wrap his head around what he had just overheard.

"I'm…strong? That…can't be right. I…I'm not…" Leo's thoughts began to lose clarity and fall apart as the pain and exhaustion of the curse and his injuries wore heavily on his lingering awareness. Slowly his eyelids began to slide shut and the sounds of the battles surrounding him began to bleed away as he was dragged back down into unconsciousness.  
_

Leo found himself drifting in what felt like zero gravity. There was no wind but despite that, Leo felt his hair and clothes sway as if in a light breeze as his ethereal blue All-Seeing Eyes took in his surroundings.

"This place…seems familiar…" All around him were various overlapping images, some playing forwards in slow motion or sped up backwards and others were simply repeating loops of the same instance. Leo vaguely recognized all of these images as instances of past moments from his life thus far. "Wait…haven't I been here once before?" The more he glanced around and thought, the more he seemed to think that maybe he had, though something was clearly very different. Leo vaguely recalled that last time when his memories played, they played in vibrant and luminous color but the memories that were shown now were all monochrome and dim. Realizing how dark it was, Leo suddenly felt very uneasy and scared though he could not seem to move his body to try and find comfort. He could only watch and think as the hundreds of different scenes from his life played before him like a badly edited movie. As he gazed over each image that swirled or drifted past him he also realized something else: the images that were playing were not pleasant memories.

He saw everything bad that occurred throughout his life: moments of being beaten and mugged, the time he was told about the less than dismal possibility of restoring his sister's sight and ability to walk by Dr. Estevez and director Magra de Grana, being betrayed by White and captured and imprisoned by Black, or rather, the King of Despair, and of course, the dreaded memory of the day he encountered the very being responsible for his and his sister's misfortune, Riga El Menuhyut, just to name a few. Leo even saw some other memories of the not-so distant past prior to Hellsalem's Lot that he never wanted to recall again.

He saw the moment the doctors gave both him and his parents the diagnosis on his and Michella's eyes while the latter slept and how devastated they all were as his mother broke down into sobs and his father comforted her while Leo stared straight ahead, shell-shocked and numb.

He saw himself, looking pale, sickly and malnourished, convulsing on the bathroom floor of his childhood home as his eyes and senses went haywire and a blind Michella lay propped up next to him (having fallen from her chair after speeding into the bathroom too quickly) trying to comfort him while calling to her parents for help unaware that they were watching silently from the doorway the whole time.

He saw himself walking down the streets of his old hometown with his head down pretending to ignore all the whispers of gossip and misdirected fear and hate sent his way even as some delinquent boys hurled rocks and insults at him.

He saw his parents' generally indifferent attitude towards him become more and more hostile and resentful as they constantly blamed him for everything while he just silently endured the tongue-lashing each and every time it happened.

He saw himself in a darkened room with windows closed and blinds taped shut blocking out any sliver of light as he silently cried himself to sleep over the guilt and depression that ravenously gnawed away at him. As he watched all of this, vile words and phrases meshed together in a cacophony of terrible noise but Leo could still make out certain things that sent him further into despair.

" _You're such a freak!_ "

" _I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do to help either of them_."

" _This is all your fault Leonardo!_ "

" _Mom, Dad, anyone, help!_ "

" _Which one of you two will bear witness?_ "

" _The All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods, I want you to give me your eyes Leo_."

" _This is what he gets for being too much of a coward_."

" _…_ _Someone please, just make it all go away…_ "

Leo's body quivered watching all of this as anguish unfolded within him. He clenched his eyes shut, unable to turn his head and avert his gaze or move to clamp his hands over his ears to drown out the noise as tears began welling up in his eyes and he prayed for it all to stop.

"No more…please…I don't want to see all of this again!" Unbeknownst to him, dark, black tendrils began to materialize from the depths of an abyss that had opened below him. They slithered up drawing ever closer to him looking to wrap around him and drag him down. "What did I ever do to deserve this? What can I do to make this pain go away?!" He exclaimed with tears leaking out from behind clenched eyelids. Just as the tendrils were within inches of enveloping him, something unexpected happened: A different, much more recent, memory then appeared separate from the looping negativity; one that cut through the darkness and in a display of brighter (though still noticeably dulled) color and was so large that it briefly encompassed the whole void, drowning out everything else.

It was of himself only moments before on the damaged battlefield of the abandoned factory as he lay badly injured and wracked with pain under the strain of the curse and bound in chains while Klaus stood protectively in front of him in his battle stance as he defiantly faced off against the King of Pain.

" _There's something even you yourself don't seem to recognize about pain: it can be overcome. And it can make one stronger._ " Leo's formerly clenched eyes snapped open upon hearing Klaus' voice cut through the void and for a moment his dim surroundings grew a bit brighter causing the tendrils to draw back slightly even after the brief memory had faded away. Leo however took no notice as his mind replayed the words from the recent memory while everything else around him had now fallen silent though the negative memories still played around him.

"It can be…overcome?" Leo questioned, his tears ceasing for the moment and he seemed to regain a bit of clarity from his downward spiral. "How though?" Leo glanced around him again, gaze drifting over all the memories present as he contemplated. "It's not like I haven't tried to face my demons but at look how far that's gotten me." He regarded each negative memory clip as it passed by. "I've tried so hard to accept whatever happened, to accept it and just move on. I even tried to ignore it sometimes hoping that it would get better and fade away. But every time I think I'm over it, every time I think I've pushed it down far enough and that things might actually be okay, something else happens bringing that pain back even worse and dredging up the same dark thoughts and feelings that go along with it. What else is there left for me to try? Even so, this is my burden to bear too, isn't it? The price I have to pay for my own weakness. No one else's; not after I've already caused so much grief. For Michella, my parents, Klaus and everyone else in Libra as well as the few friends I made in the city…" Almost as if responding to Leo's thoughts, the scenery of images changed again and multiple other different memories began to swirl in the darkness in muted color. Brief images and clips of all these people played showing more instances in his past.

Assisting Klaus and the other Libra members in their undercover operation at the Gauccione Mansion about a month prior using his eyes to provide valuable insight as they lied in wait and organized their forces accordingly.

Engaging in a pleasant conversation with Vivian at Dianne's as she busied herself with bussing tables while he enjoyed his own usual meal.

Buying burgers for his burger-loving Beyondian friend Nej who gleefully danced around in eager anticipation on the sidewalk outside Ghetto Heights for his favorite food.

Protecting his other frail Beyondian friend Riel (who was still shrunken after the ordeal concerning his coerced gigantification) from the park's local birds as he ran away from a persistent flock with his shrunken friend shielded protectively in his cupped hands.

Spending time with both Black and White respectively as dual memories of meeting up and hanging out with Black when he briefly returned to the city to visit (after the chaos concerning Femt's latest demon beast fiasco had been taken care of) and helping him out financially for bus fare home after he had gotten mugged as they exchanged a promise to keep in touch more often followed by a subsequent memory of the time he snuck White out of the hospital to take her to the outdoor movie theatre to cheer her up as she clung to him sitting on the back of his scooter with a big smile on her face.

Providing his parents whatever money he could scrounge from his several part-time jobs to help pay for Michella's medical bills as he grew up and lived at home.

Even an especially distant memory of himself and Michella back when they were children where Michella lay on the ground having been pushed out of her wheelchair by a group of older boys who teased her, making her cry before Leo protectively jumped in and proceeded to get into one of the only few fights he ever willingly instigated.

"…I never wanted to become a burden to the people in my life any more than I already have been so I always did what I could to put others at ease and prove I wasn't a liability…but here I am anyway; stuck and helpless just like before." Again the familiar scene played of Riga offering the All-Seeing Eyes to him and his sister, tasking them to choose who would take on the duty of accepting the Alterworldly artifact and its powers while Leo trembled in fear rooted to the spot unable to move or speak. "All because I was a coward who was too weak to make the choice I should have back then and protect her like I should have, now she has to live with my mistakes while I die unable to make things right!" Almost as soon as he had finished that statement did an almost foreign thought coming from someone else presented itself in his mind.

" _I wonder how Michella will react when she finds out about this_."

Instantly Leo's demeanor shifted from pessimistic to adamant as he felt his suspended body stiffen slightly at the implication behind the phantom words. No, no way in hell was he willing to even entertain that notion. He failed Michella once; he was _not_ going to do so again, not without a fight! However as that last sentiment crossed his mind, his thoughts drifted back to the reality at hand.

"But what can I do in this situation? As much as I hate them, I have to admit the only thing I ever had going for me was the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods and without them…" Leo trailed off but before he could continue, the void around him briefly changed yet again in brighter but still subdued color. The scene around them this time was of he and Klaus in Libra's main office space. Leo was seated in one of the armchairs surrounding a small coffee table in front of several sheets of paper attempting to write a letter to his sister and holding a donut in one hand while Klaus stood behind his desk silhouetted against the light coming in through the office's large window behind him.

" _It wasn't, by any means, only your eyes that we welcomed into Libra…you know that, right?_ " Both current and memory Leo simply observed Klaus, seemingly at a loss for words silently contemplating his words though Klaus did not do or say anything further and the memory slowly faded out around him.

"It wasn't my eyes?" Leo repeated stunned from the nearly forgotten moment in time as the darkness around him brightened ever so slightly causing the lingering tendrils below to twitch in a sort of hesitant impatience. "What did he mean by that? If not for my eyes…then what other reason is there?" Leo was silent for a moment longer as he continued to wrack his brain for any ideas and then to Klaus' previous words that echoed in his head.

" _Pain can be overcome. And it can make one stronger…because he is by far one of the strongest people I know._ " A flitting, warm feeling sparked inside him before his persistent insecurity quickly pushed it back down.

"Stronger? Klaus said before that I was strong but…in what way? I'm not physically strong like him, or even Zapp, Steven or anyone else in Libra. I can't fight to save my life, I don't have any useful skills, and I'm not confident or remarkable in any particular way. I'm just…"

" ** _An insignificant nothing_** ," a dark, disembodied voice cut in from the surrounding darkness causing Leo to flinch at the unexpected and hurtful comment. Before Leo could find the speaker's mysterious source, the comment somehow triggered another, recent memory as again the void around him was swallowed up allowing it to play out. However this time, it was not in as bright of color as the past few memories had been and was of something much more unwelcome.

The scene was of himself, hurt and bound in chains several hours earlier before Klaus and the rest of Libra's arrival in the worn down factory, and Pain who towered over him with clawed arm poised up ready to strike down at him as the lay on his side and the three Higher Class Breeds observed in silent yet eager anticipation. Pain then brought his claws down just as Leo cried out…only to completely miss him and instead cleave the chains from his body that kept his arms bound at his sides. They fell away to the cement with a metallic clang allowing the dumbfounded Leo to clumsily get to his clothed feet (as he was, again, without shoes) and retreat backwards, chest aching and still consumed by constant pangs from the Maledictum.

"Wha-What are you—" Leo began before the King of Pain cut him off.

"Like I said, proving to you how inferior you are," The Elder Breed prefaced with a sinister grin before he calmly walked over to where his previous debris perch resided. Grabbing a protruding metal rod from the chunk of concrete, he pulled and twisted it with relative ease until it snapped and came loose from the stone. He then casually tossed the jagged and bent metal rod over to Leo causing it to clatter and roll to a stop by Leo's feet. Casting a questioning glance from the rod to the Elder Class vampire, Leo furrowed his brows unsure of what to think or do until Pain spoke up in an arrogant tone.

"Pick it up," he demanded. "You and I are going to play a little game."

"A game?" Leo repeated brows creasing further in confusion and wariness.

"That's right, I'm going to give you the chance to prove me wrong. If you can so much as touch me, whether it be with a weapon or just a single finger, I'll admit defeat and let you go free. I'll even lift the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur myself so you can go about the rest of your pitiful life, no strings attached." Mild shock and even the briefest twinge of temptation reverberated through Leo but ultimately he knew better. His features hardened into a set scowl.

"No strings attached huh? Somehow I find that hard to believe you would be so _generous_ since there suspiciously doesn't seem to be anything in it for you," Leo rebutted sarcastically between heavy, pained breaths. "And given the condition I'm in because of _you_ , it's pretty clear that it would be pretty one-sided even if I were to agree to such an obviously rigged setup, or that you would even keep your word for that matter since stated not even a few minutes ago that you had no intentions of keeping me alive despite what you told Klaus and the others before. So why the hell should I take anything you say seriously?" Pain regarded Leo with an indifferently smug expression before replying.

"The only thing I have to gain is the satisfaction that I was right and I never went back on my word as I technically never gave it to anyone in the first place. You just _assumed_ I would," Pain smoothly reasoned. "But I'll tell you what, I'll give you a handicap." Pain's eyes flashed briefly and almost instantly, Leo's hardened expression immediately shifted into a mixture of relief and bafflement. The glowing pulses of the curse runes died down and the constant pangs of pain that thrummed through his body ceased as his battered body now felt lighter than it had in nearly two days. Before he could properly articulate his shock and confusion, Pain explained. "I'll suppress the effects and advancement of the curse so that you can fight back against me uninhibited. Doing this also puts a great deal of strain on me too leaving me admittedly more vulnerable so I'd say that about evens the odds…unless of course you still think such a _capable tool_ —forgive me— _Huma_ like yourself still can't hold a candle to a humble being like myself even with such an _ample_ advantage." This caused the other Breeds to snicker as they clustered around a bit closer but despite the obvious taunting and peer pressure Leo was not swayed in the slightest.

"Forget it! You and I both know that you're just talking a whole bunch of bullshit. And goading me on isn't going to make me want to play your twisted game just so you can indulge in your own sick pleasures," Leo refused resuming his hardened expression. This caused the other Blood Breeds to scowl in clear dissatisfaction but Pain stood surprisingly unfazed with his brow slightly cocked. However, instead of insults or threats like Leo expected, a small twitch from the corner of his mouth resulted in the smallest but most unwelcome of smirks.

"Is that how you feel? Well then—" Pain again shrugged his shoulders with an exaggeratedly fake sigh. "That's too bad. I was really looking forward to this little game. Oh well, I suppose we'll just have to find another player, maybe someone who would be more willing or accommodating in our fun. Someone who, though not as physically capable, would do anything to protect their precious kin, even say, give up their own eyesight for their pathetic excuse of an older brother." Almost instantly Leo's hardened expression fell and the blood drained out of his face as his heart skipped a beat before dropping down into the pit of his stomach.

"H-How…"

"I told you before during our first encounter didn't I? I know _everything_ about you, including your precious sister and her predicament," Pain informed with a satisfied grin upon observing the horrified look on the young man's face. "I must admit, it's quite the tragic tale," Pain continued in mock sympathy. "Making such a sacrifice to protect a loved one, blind to more than just the consequences of _your_ actions as she just accepts it with a smile. But I can't help but wonder just how much she's _really_ suffering deep down…and how savory it must be." The horror and guilt Leo felt soon gave way to unbridled rage as he could not help but react.

"YOU LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" Leo roared, voice stinging and cracking slightly from all of the screaming he did before. This resulted in a slimy grin by not only Pain, but also the other Blood Breeds as they finally spotted an exploitable chink in Leo's armor.

"Oh, so you actually _do_ care?" Pain quipped with a victorious smirk. "And here I thought you were just using her sacrifice as an excuse for some self-seeking justification towards your own flaws. Or perhaps you are too short-sighted in your guilt to see that she might just be leading you on a wild goose chase, knowing full well that your efforts to save her are in vain and passively guilt-tripping you as payback for what she had to give up for someone like you."

"Shut up!" Leo seethed as his hands shook with fury and clenched into fists. "You don't know _anything_ about us! You don't know anything about what she's had to endure!"

"Is that so?" Pain responded with an infuriating grin. "You've been seeking for a way to try and reverse what has been done to the both of you, right?" Leo didn't say anything. "Well then here's an idea: why don't I just turn her. I'm sure living life either as a ghoul or a Blood Breed would get rid of any shortcomings such as her eyesight or ability to walk. Or maybe your Fang Hunter friends could just end her and put her out of her misery. Ultimately, it would be doing you both a favor, wouldn't it?"

That comment was the last straw as what was left of Leo's reservations and judgment slipped away and adrenaline coursed through him. He took up the metal rod on the ground by his feet in a tight grip with both hands wielding it like a bat before charging blindly with an angry cry, ignoring the minor discomfort of the pebbles and debris that dug into the thin fabric underneath the soles of his feet. Taking the hostile attack as an agreement to their contest, Pain bared his fangs in an excited and sadistic smile before easily dodging the wild swing and backhanding him sending him sprawling backwards and dropping his makeshift weapon.

"I wonder just how much you can take before you break," Pain pondered aloud as his three lackies made several amused and pleased sounds as they circled around to watch the show.

While the blow itself this time was not quite as harsh as before, it still jarred his hopefully bruised but unbroken ribs greatly and stung his face as Leo felt another small trickle of blood from being struck that this time resulted in a split lip. However the hit also helped to snap some sense back into him, though not enough to get him to stand down. Leo knew he had no other choice now but to play the Blood Breed's sick and twisted game in order to protect not only himself but Michella. He recollected himself, trying to force away his anger, and again picked up the metal rod, sizing up the Breed and thinking over his options. His All-Seeing Eyes darted over the Blood Breed's form, looking for any perceivable opening (he did not want to resort to using the eyes right off the bat if he could help it, curse or no curse) before some semblance of a plan came to mind.

As calculatingly as he could Leo again charged, this time going low and wielding the rod with one hand while ignoring his protesting ribs. Amused, Pain let him draw close only to take a nonchalant hop back to avoid the easy strike to his kneecaps at the last minute followed by sidestepping the obvious follow-up attack that would have allowed Leo to lay his open palm on the vampire's abdomen. Leo tried to swing the rod again, this time aiming high for the cocky Breed's face only for him to again avoid the blow completely by ducking down and launching a retaliating, though half-hearted, blow to Leo's diaphragm. This precision blow caused Leo to unwillingly expel a bit of the contents of his stomach as he coughed and tried to catch his breath though not before glancing up and narrowly avoiding a swipe of claws that tore his clothing and drew some blood. He stumbled back a bit both from shock and loss of balance before being caught by both the slender and buff Blood Breeds by the arms before ungracefully tossing him back into the makeshift ring with similar smirks sending him sprawling and impacting his ribs against the stone causing his chest further pangs of torment. Pain waited patiently as Leo tried to quickly recover as he curled in on himself a little to soothe away the pain.

"What's the matter boy? Are you finished already?" Pain taunted causing the other Blood Breeds to smirk and chuckle. Leo scowled, wiping the blood and bile from his mouth with his sleeve, and returned his gaze with a mixed look of frustration and unwillingness to concede as he slowly got to his feet and his adrenaline began pumping harder. Again he charged in looking to land a direct hit through several well-timed fake-outs and follow-up blows either with his fist or metal rod while using his eyes to track the Breed's movements but was unsuccessful as he now knew full well that the King of Pain was toying with him like a cat toying with a mouse. Every blow no matter how fast or how efficient was either blocked or dodged with ease before Pain responded with a half-assed retaliating blow that, though noticeably weaker than what the vampire was easily capable of, was meant to drag on and add to Leo's frustration and helplessness as his injuries accumulated. His clothes and body started becoming more dirty and worn out along with his tattered socks as he kept getting knocked to the ground or swiped at. Bruises and welts became more prominent too as a bit of blood started to drip from the lacerations and open wounds he received.

Again Leo was sent stumbling backward from a quick jab to his face that resulted in a bloody nose that dribbled down his chin as he placed his hands on his knees and panted from his efforts. However, Leo glanced back up to observe Pain and realized something too: the vampire was also looking a little bit worse for wear. His face, though still smug and confident, was tense and Leo would have initially not thought anything of it, if he didn't see that the Elder Breed's crimson aura that had once flared out and flowed smoothly was now much more subdued and strained than before. Realization quickly dawned over Leo in that Pain was actually telling the truth about how suppressing the curse caused him difficulty. Outwardly though, Leo tried not to show that he realized this and instead used his sleeve to wipe most of the blood away as he came up with another plan. Again he charged the Elder Breed looking to go into the same pattern of randomly swinging the metal rod looking to land a hit on him and again the Elder Breed easily dodged most of the attempts though at a slightly slower rate than before. Emboldened by this realization, Leo kept up his relentless attacking as Pain's strain had become more and more visible as his formerly smug expression was changing into one of showing minor exhaustion. That was when Leo finally saw his chance.

Just as Pain was about to land another swat upside Leo's head, he ducked underneath the arm, surprising the formerly cocky vampire, before tilting his head upwards and upon making direct eye contact with him before snapping his eyes open and activating them as he latched onto the eyeballs of every Blood Breed in the room. Fighting through the distantly lingering discomfort of the subdued but still present curse, Leo pushed his eyes to project disruptive, nauseating hallucinations onto all the Blood Breeds present in order to lower the Elder Breed's guard and keep the other three from unfairly intervening. As they all yowled and hissed from the unexpected tactic, Leo took that as his cue and instantly rushed forward reaching out a hand that aimed towards the King of Pain's chest.

"I can do this! I can _beat_ him!" Leo exclaimed internally. Even through his manipulated vision, Pain sensed this and knew that Leo was too close for him to avoid now. Just as Leo's palm was within inches of making contact and ending the "game" in Leo's victory, Pain's disoriented, serpentine, red eyes widened in the briefest of panicked expressions before narrowing and flashing red again causing the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur to become active once again forcing Leo to stop in his tracks and deactivate his eyes as he cried out in unexpected agony. Now that Pain was free of both Leo's assault on his senses and the strain of suppressing the curse, he did not hesitate to strike back with a solid, less controlled, punch to Leo's face catching the corner of his right eye (though not damaging the eye itself). Leo was knocked backwards causing him to roughly tumble into a fallen slab of stone impacting both his back and the back of his head along the stone. His already abused ribs sent alarm bells of agony as he felt another sharp crack in his chest and he again lost his breath as spots danced across his vision. If his ribs weren't broken before, they surely were now as he slumped forward and took some spluttering breaths that only seemed to increase the pain rather than subside it (though thankfully the previous effects of the Maledictum had managed to recede as the throbbing pain caused by the runes slowly ceased).

"Y-You…you fucking liar…you said…" Leo tried to protest through pained gasps of air but was unable to finish. Pain only gave an unapologetic smile, though Leo could vaguely see the briefest twinges of irritation brought on by the sudden and unexpected turnaround, before he sarcastically replied.

"My apologies, I was just so overcome by emotion by your _inspiring_ efforts that I accidentally let my concentration in suppressing the Maledictum falter a bit," Pain sarcastically quipped though his shark-like grin easily gave away the bold-faced lie. The other Blood Breeds, who slowly recovered from Leo's assault, gave malicious grins while Leo only glowered at him with tears of frustration and discomfort threatening to well up in the corners of his eyes. Pain took note of his expression and continued. "Since it seems like you're so eager, why don't I turn up the difficulty a bit?" He dashed forward landing a swift kick to Leo's side and head as he tried to block with his arms causing him to roughly impact the ground as he rolled across the ground sending more waves of agony coursing though his jarred torso. A warm stream of blood ran down over the left side of his face from a sizable gash that had opened up along his hairline from the hard impact matting his hair in the sticky substance as it trickled down. Leo tried to recover quickly but Pain didn't seem to want to give Leo the chance anymore. His actions became more and more savage as he attacked the defenseless young man from all angles faster than he had any chance of keeping up with. His bruises and welts became larger and darker and his claws raked over his skin drawing more blood that started to stain his torn clothes as he was slowly but brutally overwhelmed.

Leo's body came skidding to a halt from a particularly nasty blow, his weapon now long forgotten, but still the young holder of the All-Seeing Eyes tried to push himself up on shaking limbs out of sheer persistence but was failing miserably. The next thing Leo knew, he felt his something slam with full force down onto his right leg causing his vision to actually white out briefly from the excruciating agony as he let out a shrill scream. Pain lifted his foot from Leo's broken and slightly mangled leg as he took in the sight of Leo's suffering with great satisfaction before kicking him away, roughly jostling his ribs even more as he gasped and coughed trying to stabilize his ragged breathing. That last injury to his leg was the final blow to his endurance and his injuries had now become too much for Leo to bear and the adrenaline that once coursed through him slowly began to leave him. He no longer had the physical strength to try to fight back again; instead he just waited for his senses that were clouded from the pain of his injuries to clear and keep from passing out as he felt his consciousness become unstable even as he lay perfectly still. Though again, Pain just didn't want to leave him be as he calmly stalked over to Leo before firmly wrapping a clawed left hand around Leo's throat in a bruising grip (though, again, not cutting his air intake off completely) and lifting him up off the ground so that he hung limply in his grasp while he still struggled to recover.

"So…is it sinking in yet?" Pain asked snide triumph heavily lacing his tone. "How useless you are? How weak you are? It must really sting, even more so than those injuries, to know that you never stood a chance against me." Leo grit his teeth and let out a barely audible growl before using all of his will to force his body to move and raise his shaky left arm up in a last ditch attempt to place a hand on the monster's arm that held him, still pursuing the victory that was no longer viable. Unimpressed, Pain firmly grasped his arm with his free hand hard enough to leave bruises and pulled it away from his body holding it taut so he couldn't move it at all. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?" With that he slowly and torturously pulled Leo's arm harder and harder until it was wrenched out of its socket with a distinct pop. Leo cried out again in pain at the new injury as his vision was met with stars before Pain unceremoniously dropped the now useless limb to his side.

"Did you honestly think you could win, seriously? What makes you think you could be anything other than the _insignificant nothing_ you've always been? You had the power to actually make a difference once but instead you let your own flesh and blood suffer at the hands of a higher being in exchange for those precious eyes of yours. And yet you still have the audacity to try and act like you can make a difference for her or anyone else when you don't even have the strength to save yourself? How delusional can you be?" Leo didn't answer; the amount physical hurt Leo felt at that point now seemed insignificant compared to the emotional damage such words instilled in him. His mind thought back again to the aftermath of that horrific day after everything had come to pass and he could clumsily move again only to kneel down on his knees in front of his blind sister, who could only smile sadly while he wept like a baby as the weight of his actions crashed down on him. This prompted more tears to well up in Leo's eyes before suddenly the familiar body-wracking spasms of pain appeared caused by the curse that the merciless Elder Class Blood Breed invoked once more as he no longer bothered to suppress the curse any further. The runes pulsed rhythmically causing Leo's already shortened breath to catch even more from the hoarse screams as he tried to again adjust to the unwelcome sensations but his abused body was too far over the limit. Leo's consciousness slowly began to fade and as he observed the King of Pain's arrogant face before him as his vision wavered before he was suddenly released. In the split second he hung in the air and between the agony and different, indistinguishable thoughts that swam in his mind, there was only one specifically, coherent thought that could actively form in forefront of his mind.

" _Maybe…he's right_ , " Leo thought before impacting the ground and the long, torturous memory came to an end and the void he was in previously reappeared still playing the same unpleasant memory loops.

"That's right, for a moment I actually thought I _could_ win back then…but I couldn't, even _with_ the eyes' powers and the curse momentarily stopped. If I couldn't win back then, what chance do I have now?" Leo tried to think of a solution, his All-Seeing Eyes scouring his playing memories for answers or another angle but nothing came to him. The more he thought and searched, the more downcast and upset he became allowing the bright rays of light that had begun to filter into the void around him to fade and grow dim once more. "What should I do? What _can_ I do? How can I overcome all this?"

" ** _You can't. You're useless, a tool, a burden_** ," the disembodied, dark voice drifted out from the darkness surrounding him.

"Useless? A tool? A burden?" Leo repeated almost in a trance as if the words had branded themselves to his very psyche as the light and warmth he once felt began to quickly drain out of him. This also allowed the black tendrils that had previously drawn back to slowly start encroaching on him once more. "That's right…I knew all of this before, didn't I? Who was I kidding? Why did I think someone like me could be anything more?"

" ** _It's all futile. Why fight it? Just give up; give yourself to me_** ," the dark voice darkly crooned as the tendrils slowly wrapped themselves around Leo's body and limbs and began dragging him down towards the abyss residing below. Leo did not struggle or even register the tentacles even as they started tightening their grip on him. His lingering awareness began to blank out and his eyes began to slide shut though not before one more thought drifted through Leo's mind.

"…Both me and these eyes are better off gone forever."

The tendrils drew him closer and closer to the darkness uninhibited…until suddenly the void surrounding them changed yet again and another memory and voice cut through the darkness, one different from the ominous voice, himself or even Klaus' but one Leo still recognized anywhere.

" _Your eyes are just tools. So as long as_ _you_ _aren't broken you'll manage_." This comment seemed to stop the tentacles in their tracks and additionally spurred Leo to slowly open his eyes and take in the new yet familiar scene around him. Sure enough, he observed the brief memory where he lay face down battered and slightly worse for wear amongst the debris and wreckage of the second Great Collapse and the speaker, Zapp, stood over him glaring down disapprovingly at the pessimistic boy whilst clutching his blood sword.

" _So where there's a will, there's a way, and all that crap?_ " past Leo deadpanned sarcastically before Zapp responded in the affirmative causing him to eventually get back onto his feet. But it was the next thing Zapp said that gave both his current and past self a moment of pause.

" _Your eyes got you in the door, but that's not why you're still with Libra_." Caught off guard by the unexpected and encouraging memory of Zapp of all people, some of Leo's coherence started coming back to him as the memory ended. The light that lingered from the memory caused the tendrils to shrink back ever so slightly though they refused to relinquish their firm hold on Leo so easily as said young man pondered over the white-haired male's words.

"Didn't…Klaus say something similar?" Leo vaguely registered as he thought back to the Libra leader's words.

" _It wasn't, by any means, only your eyes that we welcomed into Libra…you know that, right?_ " Leo was honestly at a loss of what to think or feel now.

"Why? Why would they say something like that? Don't they realize how cruel it is to keep stringing me along by saying such things…or…could it be that they actually…" Before he could think further into the possible implications behind what was left unspoken by both men, another, much more recent memory quickly filled the void. This time it was of himself as well as Klaus, Steven, Zapp, Zed, Chain and K.K. present in the office about a day and a half prior. A fatigued-looking Leo held the recently calmed Sonic in his arms while a clearly concerned Klaus and the rest of Libra observed silently as Steven took the liberty of speaking.

" _Listen kid, both you and your eyes are a vital asset for Libra and we've got to make sure you're in the best shape you can be to be up to the job…otherwise you won't be of help to anybody_." Again, the tendrils recoiled a bit from the muted color and light the memory displayed but still stubbornly refused to release the boy entirely from its clutches though they did loosen ever so slightly. Leo, on the other hand, was too preoccupied by the new memory to take any notice.

"…If nothing else, he's got a point; I need to calm down and think. Is this really how I want things to end?" Leo thought genuinely about that for a second and realized that no, he didn't. For better or worse, the burden of carrying the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods was his and his alone and as much as he resented and despised them, he did not want the eyes or their abilities falling into the wrong hands, _especially_ the hands of someone like Pain. "What can I do?" Leo wondered for the umpteenth time during this whole experience. "What would Klaus or the others do if they were me?" Again, as if to answer his query, the void around him changed yet again.

The memory that played showed himself, Zapp and Zed, eating their takeout lunch from Jack Rocket's and gathered around the coffee table in the office (as Dianne's was closed for renovations following being destroyed in another unfortunate accident). The office was currently absent of the other members leaving the three remaining members in relative peace. Gilbert had driven Klaus and Steven to a meeting with Lieutenant Law to discuss some important matters, Chain had ducked out to meet up with the girls at the Werewolf Bureau for Happy Hour at some dive bar, and K.K. had been called in to assist in an armed raid in the abandoned warehouse district. Zapp and Zed meanwhile had actually managed to find some rare common ground by talking about the results of their previous mission regarding pinpointing a notorious crime lord that ended favorably on all accounts but Leo had been mostly silent throughout the entire conversation. Zapp eventually took notice of this and after some not-so-gentle prodding on his end, Leo had finally caved and asked them the seemingly out of nowhere question that had apparently been on his mind.

"Huh? You want to know how you think _you_ could win in a fight? You're kidding right?" Leo just remained silent looking a bit sheepish as Zapp and Zed studied Leo with the former looking slightly incredulous and the latter looking a bit thoughtful.

"It's just…hypothetically speaking, you know?" Leo tried to justify as he nibbled on some fries but the two didn't buy it.

"Is this about how you nearly got mugged again coming out of Ghetto Heights when we got lunch?" Zed questioned delicately after taking a drink from his beverage. He himself had not been able to go into Ghetto Heights as it was strictly Huma only, much to his displeasure, and Zapp, who had initially entered to help him carry all the food and drinks, had been too busy flirting with some women passing by on the street before he heard Leo's cries for help and managed to barely run to his aid in time. Leo flinched almost instantly though he tried to deny the accusation.

"N-No! It's just…never mind, forget I said anything," Leo replied quickly taking a bite from his burger to keep from further incriminating himself. Zapp raised a skeptical brow and decided to answer him anyway.

"Well, 'hypothetically speaking,' you'd either get killed in five seconds or die a slow and painful death," he declared nonchalantly before taking a large bite of his own burger. This response caused both Leo and Zed to glower at their asshole of a coworker.

"Well excuse me for not having any killer instincts," Leo retorted in a mildly offended and sulky tone now sorry he ever even thought to ask.

"Is it really necessary for you to be so imprudent with your words?" Zed chimed in with a disapproving glare as he set his drink down on the coffee table before them.

"I'm just saying it how it is," Zapp responded with his mouth full before swallowing and looking to the noticeably deflated Leo before letting out a small sigh and speaking in a serious tone getting back to his previous inquiry. "Look Pube-head, in this city there's always gonna be people out there trying to act like they're gonna be the next big threat to humanity and Libra and most of 'em have no problems with killing. If you ever encounter something like that and you can't get away then yeah, you'll probably have to fight back. Just don't do anything too stupid and play dirty if you need to and do whatever it takes to come out on top, or at the very least, not die. And don't pull your punches or hold back out of pity or hesitation either; in the end _it's your life on the line that matters_ and you can't trust anyone to fight fairly." This response garnered similar looks of noticeable surprise from the other two members.

"I'm impressed you actually managed to say something well thought out and conscientious for once," Zed remarked as Zapp grabbed a handful of fries in preparation to shovel into his mouth. However this comment irked him to the point that he instead nearly mashed the deep-fried wedges in his hand.

"You picking a fight with me Fish Sticks? I'll fry you up extra crispy!" Zed however chose to ignore his blustering colleague and instead directed his gaze back to Leo.

"As for me, I believe that the best way to overcome an opponent is to carefully analyze the situation and make calm and rational decisions that will have the greatest benefit to you. In your case, I also believe staying alive and escaping the confrontation is the best course of action and should only fight back when it is absolutely necessary. After all, _there's a fine line between bravery and foolishness_." Leo took in the words from both Big Dipper Style users and nodded in both agreement and understanding.

"That makes sense," he conceded before taking another bite of his burger and quietly contemplating the answers he was given while the two got into another heated discussion going off onto a tangent about Zapp's deplorable table manners. This caused Leo to give a small smirk and join in poking fun with some comments of his own causing Zapp to give an indignant squawk and throw a heated tantrum complete with empty threats and plenty of insults before the memory ended. The faint light from the memory that lingered behind caused the tendrils around him to loosen even more, almost entirely off his frame, before another memory surprisingly began to play.

This time it was of himself, K.K. and Chain in a small yet popular and bustling café waiting for their usual coffee pick up. Some people were chatting and enjoying their food while a few business people from the nearby complexes were working on their laptops while enjoying a nice cup of coffee as the sounds of the coffee machines and pleasant greetings of the workers filled the air in a comfortable white noise. The friendly female Alterworldly barista finally dropped off their drinks and gave the three Libra members a pleasant smile. Everything was peaceful and normal as Leo reached for his drink…that was, until a large, multi-armed Alterworldly thug in a ski mask burst in.

"Everybody down on the ground! This is a stick-up! If you all don't want to get blasted to pieces you'll hand over all your money and valuables and keep your mouths shut!" He demanded literally bearing his four arms that each clutched some sort of high-powered weapon. The instant buzz of fear that had begun was instantly silenced as the crook pointed each weapon into the crowd of people in four random directions. Leo barely had a chance to think before K.K. had quickly pulled out her own pistols and quickly shot the lone gunman, incapacitating and neutralizing him within seconds by shooting him in the arms and legs and then shooting electrified rounds to blast the fallen weapons to pieces. The would-be robber fell to the ground injured but still alive as he cried out in pain and loudly cursing. Everyone who had been in a panic before just silently stared in shock as K.K. wordlessly holstered her weapons and grabbed hers and Leo's coffee that had just been placed on the countertop prior to the thug bursting in (though not before slipping a five zero bill into the tip jar for the barista) and calmly headed for the door. Chain grabbed her own and followed her out, going out of her way to actually step on the downed gunman rather than over him as he writhed on the floor. Leo blinked dumbly before quickly following the two out (whilst giving the former robber a wide berth in case he tried something) as the three of them rounded the corner into a narrow side street silently opting to take a less conspicuous route back to the office to avoid any further trouble or unwanted attention. They had gotten a considerable distance away before Leo couldn't help but finally speak.

"How can you just react like that so easily?" Leo found himself asking, not so much out of reproach (he had already gotten used to such things in this city and his colleagues) but out of genuine curiosity. This caused both women to stop and glance back to him. Upon seeing the inquisitive expression on his face, the two exchanged a brief look before Chain shrugged and K.K. just grinned.

"'Cause I'm awesome like that," she replied confidently taking a quick sip of her cappuccino for added effect, only to jolt and let out a little yip after burning her tongue and losing all sort of credibility she previously had. Leo couldn't help a small, amused smile that formed at the actions of the badass but dorky, motherly sniper but it quickly disappeared since the response didn't necessarily answer his question. K.K. sensed this and gave him an understanding look. "It helps to always keep a cool head. _Sometimes you_ _will_ _get overwhelmed or caught off guard but the important thing is to always stay in control_. The second you lose that composure you're screwed. Of course it also helps to always keep a weapon or two on you. I know Patrick always says he's willing to help you out with that," she joked as she took another, more cautious sip of her drink. Chain glanced from her to Leo looking a bit thoughtful before she put in her two cents.

"Personally I think it's better to just avoid the situation altogether. Engaging any kind of threat when you don't have a choice is one thing but it's pretty pointless and stupid to do so when you can just not get involved in the first place, that's how I see it anyway." Leo hummed in thoughtfulness at their responses before K.K. held his own drink out to him to which he accepted with a small word of thanks before ruffling his unruly hair before the memory ended. The light that filtered in was a bit brighter than before and lasted longer as begrudgingly the tendrils slowly pulled away from his frame and again, another memory took it's place almost right after.

Once more Leo saw himself back in the office though based on the fading orange glow coming in through the large windows it was late in the evening. Leo would have left a few hours earlier but he had volunteered to stay behind a bit later than usual to assist Steven and Klaus with organizing old documents on past operations and other outdated, top-secret information that were either to be stored or thoroughly disposed of, a task that normally would have fallen to Gilbert but he was currently unavailable taking care of other matters. Both Klaus and Steven's desks were littered with several piles of disorganized folders and documents before Steven would pass something off to Klaus for approval or disapproval before he in turn would pass it off to Leo to be shredded and incinerated or placed in neat piles on the coffee table for Gilbert to enter into their database (though he did not dare peek at anything as he did so; member or not he was still a part timer and did not want to betray the trust Klaus and Steven had put in him by being too nosy). Leo managed to stifle another yawn that had nearly crept on him and tried to get back to work though it seemed as though he was not the only one who was feeling tired. Steven was about to hand a file folder off to Klaus when he accidentally knocked another stack of papers off the desk as he passed by which fluttered and scattered on the floor.

"Oh dammit!" Steven cursed lowly as set the file back onto his desk and bent down to pick them up. Leo and Klaus also left their designated spots to help. Wanting to hopefully ease the tension from the monotonous work, Leo decided to comment.

"You'd think that with all the technology at our fingertips now we wouldn't need paper documents anymore," Leo remarked with a lopsided grin.

"It's always good to have a physical copy on hand as a back-up. Though technology may be useful, it is not always reliable," Klaus replied simply, Leo's attempt at a lighthearted joke seemingly going right over his head. Leo cringed a little averting his gaze at the awkwardness of the situation he created before his eyes fell upon a number of rather elaborate diagrams concerning the blueprints of multiple high-rises and buildings. There were also some hastily scrawled visual entry points and tactical diagrams added on top of it all thoroughly decorating the paper in nearly illegible chicken scratch. Altogether it looked more like a hot mess of chaotic yet thorough planning as he thoughtlessly picked them up to examine closer out of curiosity before taking additional notice of some side notes on potential worse case scenarios and appropriate counter measures that had been apparently added on top of it all by Klaus and Steven (judging by their distinct handwriting styles Leo had come to know and recognize).

"You guys really _do_ think of everything don't you?" Leo found himself saying without thinking clearly impressed before he realized what he was just said and stiffened as he then felt both Klaus and Steven fix their gazes from the collected papers to him. "Ah, s-sorry! I know I shouldn't pry about things I have no business knowing. I just, um…" Leo trailed off apparently feeling mildly ashamed as he averted his gaze and sheepishly handed back the recollected papers to Steven though the two men did not say anything right away.

"Having carefully laid plans is the key to success," Steven admitted with a small smile to try and put the flustered lad at ease as he accepted the recollected papers from both him and Klaus they all stood again. "And of course having back-up plans and countermeasures to any potentially unexpected obstacles or happenings doesn't hurt, especially in this city where the unexpected is the norm," he concluded tapping them neatly along the surface of his desk. Leo slowly lifted his gaze back up to them as he took in what Steven said before hesitantly asking a follow-up question.

"…And what do you do if you're in a situation you can't prepare for?" Leo asked meekly. Steven looked a bit taken aback by this but Klaus, the ever-observant man that he was, quickly realized the true nature of this question. A few days prior, Leo had been tasked with running a quick solo errand to one of their well-known and trusted informants that ran a pawn shop to retrieve a package for Klaus but had been ambushed by a druggie with a knife looking for his next fix despite clearly being under the evident influence of some pretty strong substances already. Thankfully Leo's opponent had been human and was too impaired to do any seriously lethal damage but he had been so persistent and deranged that Leo had been forced to use his eyes to escape otherwise he would have likely gotten killed by the unstable man. While Leo did not walk away from the situation unscathed, his injuries fortunately hadn't been too severe aside from one or two particularly nasty cuts that required minor stitches. From what Leo had heard from Steven, the man ended up dying of an overdose later that same day but it did little to put the young man at ease. If anything, it only made him feel worse as he felt slightly guilty that he couldn't help the man properly at the time. Klaus exchanged a brief look of knowing the Steven, which the scar-faced man returned. They both knew full well of Leo's penchant for trouble finding him and though Leo would always try to play off whatever happened, they could tell it always affected the lad more than he wanted to admit. So the two in command decided to respond to Leo's thinly veiled inquiry the best way they could, with a thinly veiled answer.

"Then we do what we can to deal with it as effectively as we can," Klaus replied confidently. "As Steven said, the unexpected is a constant in this city and there are many instances when sometimes even the most thorough plans are not adequate enough to ensure complete success. If we were to encounter, say, an unexpected adversary during an operation that is dangerous or unpredictable, then it is imperative to keep our distance to assess the new threat and immediately contact others for back up or assistance. And if we happen to find ourselves in a situation where we cannot escape or receive aid, then it is important to stand firm and observe our opponent's movements carefully before acting accordingly to ensure a swift and satisfactory conclusion. But the most crucial thing to remember is that _no matter who your enemy is or how formidable they appear, no one is perfect_." Steven then took that as his cue to step into the conversation.

"And of course it wouldn't hurt to always keep your GPS on even if you don't think you're going to encounter any kind of serious trouble," Steven added with a small, teasing smile. Leo opened his mouth, wanting to say something in response to that last comment as he realized instantly that they saw through his poorly concealed probing, but ultimately could not find the words and so closed his mouth and just sheepishly nodded. Klaus and Steven did not press him further and just turned back to their work, though not before Klaus gently clapped a hand on Leo's shoulder giving him a small smile in a silent but reassuring display of comfort and understanding that almost instantly helped put Leo's remaining troubles at ease. He returned the gesture with a small but thankful smile of his own before turning back to his own work and the memory too faded away.

The light and colors from the lingering memories had now steadily become bright enough to blot out most of the constantly looping clips of negativity, though still dim enough for the abyss below to continue existing undeterred even as the black tendrils slowly retreated back further into the sheltering darkness twisting and flicking about angrily. Observing those past few previous memories gave Leo a strange sense of solace and, again, something else he couldn't quite name.

"Maybe…maybe there's some truth to what they said. Maybe… I can be something more after all." Again, the lingering embers of something small briefly sparked back up to life inside him. As if sensing this, the dark voice from before called out again, sounding almost desperate as it did.

" ** _You can't! You're weak! You're helpless! What can_** ** _you_** ** _possibly do?_** " Leo's train of thought faltered for a moment before suddenly a quick snapshot of a memory, one where Leo was seen peeking out over the city from the top of a concrete banister a heavy shoulder bag carrying a case with the live disembodied head of a certain government official, flashed across the void. While it was a silent image, Leo immediately recalled his own words that he had spoken to Ackerman's head perfectly and he widened his eyes ever so slightly.

"…I can change."

The lingering embers became a small flame.

"…I can _become_ someone strong and self-reliant."

The small flame became a healthy fire.

"… ** _Because it was, and always has been, my_** ** _choice_** ** _!_** "

No sooner had Leo spoken his epiphany, was the dim surroundings was suddenly overtaken in a burst of light causing a reverberating screech from the abyss below as the tentacles harshly recoiled back. One by one, the various, monochromatic and negative memories that looped around him began to grind to a halt before cracking and shattering like glass though not before other memories took their place in vibrant, swirling colors.

Instead of staying depressed and cooped up in his room, he now saw himself packing his bags for his journey to Hellsalem's Lot, filled with determination to make things right as he glanced over to his prized yellow camera that displayed a happy selfie of himself and Michella with her sight still intact.

Instead of feeling down about the less than promising diagnosis on the possibility of restoring Michella's sight and ability to walk, he saw himself resolve to not give up and continue searching for a way to help her as he clenched his fists and gazed out over the city's bay he just so happened to be passing by.

Instead of residing in the darkened catacombs of his prison provided by the King of Despair during the second Great Collapse, he saw himself pushing onward through the thick, white fog even as his stolen vision reeled and he stumbled along out of exhaustion as he trekked up a seemingly endless flight of ancient stone stairs as the city quaked above him.

Instead of thinking about each time he had the unrelenting, nightmarish memory of Riga El Menuhyut taking his sister's sight and bestowing him with the All-Seeing Eyes…he saw Michella, Klaus, Steven, Zapp, Zed, Chain, K.K., Gilbert, Hummer and Deldro, Lucky, Patrick, Neyka, Sonic, Black, White and everyone else he has come to know since coming to the city as they rallied around him in one way or another.

The light that came from these memories shone throughout the void with such intense light and color that even the abyss and tentacles below could longer stand against it. With another angry, pained, and drawn-out screech, they slowly dissipated into oblivion along with everything else in the void around Leo as it all slowly began to white out. Leo's eyes darted around, his body still unable to fully move as he watched the fading memories with an overwhelming surge of positive emotions and mild panic before his gaze drifted over something hidden amongst the fading memories that lingered behind and gave him pause. His eyes drifted back to what he saw and for a moment he could not comprehend what he was seeing: the vague outline of an eerily familiar figure with messy hair standing stiffly and silently some distance away with it's head slightly tilted as the pair of _very_ recognizable, piercing, blue luminous eyes was focused entirely on him before everything, including the figure and its haunting gaze that lingered behind a bit longer than it should have, was soon swallowed whole and engulfed in whiteness.  
_

Leo was awoken again this time by the gentle nudging of furry paws. Leo's awareness slowly came back to him before slowly glancing up to Sonic, who had discreetly snuck out of hiding and was now hovering close to his face worriedly gazing down at him while letting out concerned chattering squeaks.

"S-Sonic?" Leo weakly mumbled in confusion before his recollected memory slowly came flooding back to him. His eyes widened a little in revelation before he lifted his head slightly and glanced around him where Klaus and the others were still locked in combat. He took quick notice at how haggard yet fiercely determined everyone's expressions were causing him to furrow his brows in concern before then knitting together in similar determination and slowly he clenched the fist on his good arm as he felt his fighting spirit start to roar back to life. Leo struggled against his binds to try and prop his aching and injured self up, carefully balancing his weight off the more abused limbs that could not handle the pressure, as his entire body screamed in protest. For a moment, Leo saw dark spots and he stopped to wait for it to pass while controlling his shortened breathing before he glanced back up. His eyes scanned the area around him until he spotted what he was looking for: the King of Pain, who was continuing to give Klaus a run for his money as they traded savage blows. Scowling at the offending Blood Breed, Leo could only take as many deep breaths as he could to keep his consciousness stable and brace himself as he mustered up every ounce of strength and will power he could muster. Without another thought, Leo opened his All-Seeing Eyes (fighting against his swollen right black eye) and activated them allowing the seal-like lenses to appear as he focused solely on the Elder Class Blood Breed. Almost immediately as he did so however did a strong wave of agony, brought on by the Maledictum and coupled with his injuries, wash over him threatening to take him back under as he suppressed a small cry and causing Sonic to chatter in both panic and worry over what he was attempting to do.

"I have to…" Leo replied through grit teeth almost as if he could clearly understand that the little monkey was trying to tell him to stop. "I have to help them! They're going through hell and back for my sake, I can't just sit here and do nothing anymore! That's _my_ choice! I _choose_ to live and I _choose_ to fight back even if it kills me!" Leo exclaimed hoarsely as he pushed himself and his eyes to their limit and adrenaline once more coursed through him. As he did a familiar memory and accompanying words played in the back of his mind, one of himself and the heavily injured Klaus during the aftermath of the second Great Collapse.

" _Hold your head high, Leonardo Watch. I am so proud of you_." Immediately Leo felt his eyes overheat in his sockets far too quickly to his liking but still he persevered focusing on his goal even as they began to smoke and he tried to clear up the muddled characters that were having difficulty fully forming. It was also at this time that a sequence of memories and accompanying words made their way to his mind.

The first was of himself facing off against the tall, mechanized form of Dr. Gamimozu as his barbed limbs flailed and punctured him repeatedly as he stood defensively in front of Michella protecting her from harm before using his hand to stop one of the limbs, puncturing clean through it and managing to successfully force the Alterworldly doctor back nearly out one of the large hotel windows as it cracked from the heavy impact.

" _My big brother, the tortoise knight_." Michella's disembodied yet affectionate voice came to mind before it quickly changed. This time it was of Leo standing atop a mountain of rubble overlooking the destroyed city and King of Despair that inhabited Black's body as he screamed out to the sky for White's ghost to hear before it shifted to one of he and White as he kneeled over her while she lay looking straight up at him in clear confusion.

" _Something woke me. I heard a voice_." White's voice filtered through his head before the memory changed yet again. This time it showed quick snippets of various memories involving Leo assisting Gilbert in transporting a load of heavy supplies, talking animatedly with Patrick and Neyka over setting up the previous year's New Year's party, vaguely taking note a conversation he accidentally stumbled upon between Chain and Steven about an unusual incident as he was returning to the office followed by the time he intervened and stood up against the Alterworldly troublemakers that made fun of Riel when he had broken his arm catching a baseball to protect Sonic, running through the bustling streets searching for Nej when he had disappeared fearing he had lost his memory of their encounters, and telling Zapp off after he had said some rather insensitive things about Zed's living conditions as they rode around on town searching for the fish man, interacting with everyone in Libra to some degree and finishing up with recalling how he ran halfway across the city overcoming all obstacles in his way as he set out to find White and stop the King of Despair that inhabited Black's body by delivering a nasty head butt to his skull in an attempt to link their vision before fading into himself observing the city as everything had come to its conclusion all while Zed's voice spoke out almost narrating over the course of the playing memories.

" _You've always seen yourself as just a normal kid and you're right that's exactly what you are. You are normally caring, normally cheerful, and you are normally nosy. You have a strong moral compass, concern for your friends, and honor. I know you don't see this, but what is normal to you is far from it. Everyone else would call it courageous and noble. It's because of the person you are that you don't think twice about your own safety when it comes to helping your friends, because that is just normal to you_."

Leo's vision began to grow dangerously unsteady as the lenses over his eyes also wavered in and out of existence. A loud whirring noise was also starting to become more audible along with the growing sound of small cracks as he felt them form in his eyes and his body trembled and bled under the strain the curse was putting his already injured body through. Even so, he still he did not lose sight of his objective as he relentlessly pushed himself to the breaking point. His eyes followed their target while forcing the familiar characters to slowly make themselves more visible before him but it was clear he did not have much time left before he broke down. That was when one final memory made itself known to Leo; one that is and always has been the biggest source of inspiration and drive for him. It was of Klaus during their first meeting as his back was to Leo and he marched off towards their foes at the time, cross-shaped knuckleduster in hand, as a red light began to emanate from the nozzle and he brought his weapon up and spoke the words Leo has so fondly taken to heart.

" _As long as you try to take even one step towards the light, then the human spirit_ _ **can**_ _ **never**_ _ **be broken!**_ "

Finally Leo's eyes cracked completely causing him to let out another sharp cry and a small trickle of crimson liquid flowed from his eyes but thankfully not a moment later as he finally attained what he was searching for and allowed his eyes to deactivate. Leo let out a strangled gasp and allowed his body to collapse back onto the ground again as the lingering pain continued to wrack his body and pound against his skull. He tried to catch his breath though found to his horror that breathing had become more difficult than it had before. He tried to take as many slow, deep, agony-inducing breaths as he could while he lay perfectly still fighting to stay awake against the dangerous vertigo and light-headedness that threatened to take him right back out again as his overheated eyes and abused body felt like they were on their last vestiges of functionality. Sonic gently comforted him, silently and desperately urging him to stay awake as well.

"'m 'kay," Leo slurred trying to reassure the little monkey as he gazed at him through cracked and spider-webbed vision before regaining a bit of coherency. "We…we need to get…Klaus' attention…" Leo began but trailed off as his eyes took notice of something unpleasant approaching them and paled even more than he already was. Sonic turned his head and too began to panic as they saw a monstrous but humanoid Lower Class Blood Breed with long spindly arms and legs approach them, its red eyes trained solely on Leo in particular as an unnaturally wide and sinister smile spread across its lips.

"I knew that pretentious fool of an Elder was too arrogant to allow you to live with such a dangerous power at your disposal, curse or not," it sneered. "But now it looks like you can barely stay awake much less fight back again so I'll take the liberty of ending you and taking those eyes for myself!" With that the low-ranking vampire charged forward causing both young man and primate to panic.

"No! This can't be how it ends!" Leo thought but without the strength to move away or even use his overworked eyes again while Sonic, to his credit, refused to move from his side both out of fear and loyalty as they both braced for the worst. Just as the Breed was within a foot of goring them, a sudden snap of fingers sounded and a wormhole suddenly appeared beneath the Blood Breed's feet causing him to fall through before closing and then reappearing spitting the stunned Blood Breed out right into the path of the rampaging demon beasts before he was overwhelmed and devoured. Leo and Sonic, having opened their eyes after taking brief note of the small yet distinct snapping sound, saw their attacker get taken out and blinked in confusion while releasing the breaths they didn't know they were even holding before the casual sound of approaching footsteps and unexpected voice caught their attention.

"Well that was certainly a close call wasn't it? Guess that means you owe me." Leo lifted his head and his tired gaze drifted up to the speaker, accompanied by Sonic's large, yellow eyes as he copied his movements exactly, and he felt an anxious uncertainty and confusion flow through him upon who he saw present.

"Y-You?" Sure enough, before them stood Femt in all his smug and deranged glory as he gazed down at the lad even through his metal mask with a wide and toothy grin. "Wha-What are you doing here?" Leo demanded immediately put on edge by the leader of the 13 Kings. This caused Femt's grin to drop into a small yet disapproving frown as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Is that any way to thank the person that just saved your sorry hide? Talk about ungrateful," he said in a flat tone of disapproval. Leo could only stare at him too exhausted and confused to be able to think of an appropriate response. Femt seemed to take mild note of this and decided to graciously fill him in as he kneeled down closer to him balancing on the balls of his feet and propping his elbows on his thighs. "Let's just say the rest of Libra and I have a common goal at the moment and as such, we are temporarily on the same side." Leo took in Femt's words and after briefly searching him of any sign of deceit in his aura, of which doing so caused his consciousness to dangerously waver even more as he took in the sight of the manic and overbearing energy, before he begrudgingly relented.

"In that case, I need your help…I need you to get a message to Klaus immediately." Femt raised a brow unimpressed by this request.

"What do I look like, a freaking postman?"

"Will you just listen to me and do it!" Leo snapped as he could feel the last bits of adrenaline that were keeping him conscious beginning to slip away. "Quickly, please! Before I pass out again." Femt observed the injured and cursed young holder of the All-Seeing Eyes for a brief moment before letting out an overdramatic sigh.

"Fine," he relented sounding mildly annoyed before reaching into his lab coat's inner pocket and producing a small notepad and pen. "So what's the message?"

"Listen to me closely, the name I'm about to give you is a long one so be sure not to misspell it. It's…" The sounds of battle and detonating demon beasts surrounding them quickly picked up a notch and while everyone else was completely unaware of what was happening, Leo had managed to continue speaking clearly and Femt carefully wrote down what was relayed despite the distracting and nearly deafening racket. As the noise died down again, Leo had successfully passed on the Alterworldly demon's name. His craned head slowly dropped back down to the cool stone ground as he felt overwhelming exhaustion descend over him. "…Now please…get it to Klaus…hurry…" Femt tore the sheet from the pad and flipped his notebook closed with a snap before slowly the formerly disinterested frown to maliciously mischievous grin as he stood to full height and tucked both the notepad and pen away back in his lab coat re-adjusting it on his frame before carefully regarding the note in his hand like it was his newfound meal ticket.

"Well, well. Looks like now _I_ have something over on that irritating upstart. Guess that means that now there's nothing left to stop me from taking control of the entire situation now. A little blackmail might be just what the doctor ordered to put that annoyance in his place. Maybe I can even convince him to come back under my good graces by assisting me with Libra's downfall while they're all distracted fighting for their lives, that sounds like fun don't you think?" Femt teased before gazing down to Leo for his reaction. However his mischievous grin quickly fell as he realized that his statements had fallen on essentially deaf ears. Leo had already passed out again from the fatigue and pain of his efforts. Sonic on the other hand only glared up at Femt, clearly disapproving and judgmental and growling lowly. Femt was unusually silent and stoic as he and the little primate locked gazes for a solid moment before the King of Depravity then turned his attention back to the still on-going fights that were still at hand (surprisingly no one had yet to notice his presence during this entire exchange). Another moment of silence passed before he clicked his tongue.

"Oh damn my own whimsically morbid curiosity," Femt mumbled under his breath before letting out a long, exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "Fine," he said with a relenting huff before glancing back down to the unconscious Leo. "I'll entertain your boring plea…but I might need to spice things up a little bit." As he said this, his gaze then drifted back to Sonic and another mischievous and toothy smirk appeared causing the small simian to flinch on instinct. "And I'm going to be needing _your_ help again to make things a bit more interesting." Femt then reached into his lab coat's outer pockets and pulled out a couple of test tubes containing several microorganisms and eagerly brandished them to the little Beyondian mammal. "Now what do you say we show them what a bit of nonsense can do, hmm?" Sonic could only tremble and squeak in trepidation as to what the madman had in mind.  
_

Author's Notes: Whew! Okay, so a lot happened in this chapter. I know the length might have been a bit overkill but honestly this chapter was the majority of my struggles the past few months I had tried to write it out. Some parts of the fights I had to shorten and others I had to extend (though I think I still came up a bit short on some scenes) while still keeping things believable. Though personally I like how it finally turned out, not just in writing out the multiple fighting sequences, but in the general theme of this story too. Poor Leo, he's clearly gone through so much already but the fight isn't over yet. How will Klaus and the rest of Libra overcome Pain and their individual fights and what tricks does Femt have up his sleeve? Special thanks to VioletNeko5 for following this story! The final part of the climax should be up by this time next week. I look forward to seeing and hearing from you all (I'd really like some feedback on this one if possible) in the next part too. Until next time and Happy (early) Halloween!


	10. Consequences of the Damned (Part 3)

WARNING: This chapter contains scenes with considerable graphic content than previous chapters that might be disturbing to some readers and borders on the M rating. Reader's discretion is advised!

Chapter 10: Consequences of the Damned (Part 3):

The fearsome clashes between Libra's allied forces and the collective Blood Breed threat continued to rage on with both sides hell-bent on tearing the other to pieces and neither side willing to back down. The number of Femt's demon beasts that remained had shrunken to only a good few in number that were still actively able to fight and go after the continuously dwindling low-ranking vamps that were left but it was clear that the bloodsuckers' own numbers were slightly higher. As a result, Lucky, Patrick, Neyka, and Chain had their work cut out for them and were unable to assist Klaus, Zapp, Zed, Steven, K.K. or Blood Hummer in their own fights though it looked like things were finally reaching their inevitable end.

Zapp and Zed were forced backwards as they dug their heels into the pavement from the force of another hypersonic shriek though thankfully the high frequency earplugs they wore successfully continued to provide them adequate protection from the worst of the damage to their senses. Zapp then charged headlong at her with great speed while expertly swinging his Homuramaru to land a precision blow across the female Blood Breed's torso using his peripheral vision to avoid direct eye contact and landing a nasty and otherwise lethal blow (had it been a normal adversary) leaving behind an unpleasant scorch wound that charred her clothes and flesh. Though naturally the wound closed up and healed almost instantly though not before Zed too lunged forward with his Piercing Dragon Spear to attempt to impale her while keeping his gaze downward and off of her face. Unfortunately the monstress was able to avoid Zed's attack by sidestepping it and struck back with her sharpened nails slashing downward. Zed in turn managed to successfully dodge it by jumping back and parrying a follow-up kick with his trident forcing him to take a retreating step back as he twirled his trident to maintain his defenses before switching back into offensive mode slashing downward before following it up with another thrust forward of his trident to again impale the Breed this time succeeding in grazing her side. Letting out a small hiss, the female Breed once more attempted to lash out at the fish man but her red eyes widened as she saw both Zapp and Zed launch a combo attack with their weapons generating their respective elements of fire and wind before launching them outwards in a long-ranged attack. For a moment it looked as though their combined efforts struck home but the charred form of the female Breed emerged from the tunnel of flames at the last second looking a bit worse for wear but nowhere close to being beaten as she a moment on her knee to recollect herself.

"Filthy Fang Hunters!" she snarled bearing her fangs while slowly rising back onto her feet and moving to get on the defensive. "Don't think you can win! I won't be beaten so easily by the likes of you!" Her decayed and charred skin billowed with steam as she regenerated from her burns and her clothes were now so badly burned and tattered that they were showing dangerous amounts of rotten-looking grey skin in near dangerously, intimate ways. In spite of himself and the situation, Zapp felt his most basic of desires vaguely stir in him. He felt his grey eyes begin to mindlessly wander over and linger on her still monstrous though still mildly provocative form before he caught himself and snapped his focus back to attention hoping his near slip up went unnoticed. Unfortunately it did not; the female Blood Breed caught his traveling gaze for the briefest of moments and quickly picked up on the subtle shift in behavior. Her formerly infuriated expression shifted first into the briefest of mild confusion, then dawning realization and finally wicked understanding and glee all within the span of a split second. Instantly her body language went from defensive and hostile to open and flirty as she placed a thoughtful finger on her chin and struck an alluring pose.

"You're quite twisted you know," she said directing her gaze towards Zapp as she spoke in a sickeningly sweet and teasing tone of voice. "Even in this form you are still captivated by my beauty, or perhaps blinded by your own desires and lust. Either way you're hopelessly earnest if nothing else. Maybe I'll take pity on you once this is all over since you have such good taste." She seductively licked her lips. "I can open up a whole new world of pleasure for you…if you're ready to receive me." On pure basic instinct, Zapp's body subconsciously heated up at the implied suggestion and tone before he immediately shook his head vigorously to clear his mind of the less than decent offer and allow common sense to regain control as he snarled in both frustration and disgust.

"Like hell I would! Why don't you go and screw yourself!" He snapped as he fought his absolute hardest not to look directly at her out of the persistently lingering temptation. Zed cast his teammate a wary but silent sideways glance evidently able to tell how riled up the entire exchange had made him and he wasn't the only one who picked up on Zapp's edginess. Feigning mock hurt, the female Breed turned on the charm and tilted her head ever so slightly downward and this time dropped her guard a bit further to assume a wounded and vulnerable pose as she wrapped he arms around herself looking almost perfectly innocent as she did so.

"You're so cruel; telling me such a blatant lie when it's so painfully obvious you are only denying me and your desires. Would it really be so bad if you snuck one innocent little peek at me?" Hugging herself a bit tighter to shamelessly and subtly allow her tattered clothing to ride up and reveal even more intimate levels of skin. This act finally caused Zapp's eyes to quickly flit over her fully before making the briefest of contact with her red eyes as he forcibly tried to keep his eyes from getting drawn into her red shimmering irises that seemed to constantly draw his eyes back towards her own against his will like a magnet. Sensing his faltering resolve Zed finally spoke up.

"Don't you dare fall for it! She's just trying to deceive you into making eye contact with her!" Zed snapped directing his gaze back to Zapp in an effort to get his point across as well as avoid eye contact with the vampiric seductress.

"You're quite shy and stubbornly resistant to me aren't you heteromorph?" the female Breed questioned looking over to Zed mildly amused as he refused to meet her gaze, which then caused him to realize his own mistake just as she spoke again. "But I suppose that doesn't really matter either way."

By keeping their eyes off her, Zapp and Zed were both too late to realize that she had again quickly closed the gap between them. Reacting on instinct, they moved to strike back with their weapons but were instead sent flying back with a shrill, close-range hypersonic shriek that relentlessly stretched on longer than necessary, not only blasting them both backwards, but also overloading and causing the high frequency earplugs in their ears to short circuit. The devices sparked and buzzed, forcing both Big Dipper Style users to remove the devices and toss them away before they exploded in their eardrums as they reeled slightly trying to regain their bearings. Seeing their vulnerable state caused a sinister smirk to appear on the female Breed's face as she now had the advantage again and dashed forward at high speed. Zed recovered first and attempted to meet the vampiric banshee head-on successfully managing to counter a flying kick with the staff of his weapon only for her to leap off and back flip high into the air. Her wild black hair concealed all of her face save for blood red eyes that locked onto Zapp, who was in the middle of preparing for a fiery sneak attack before their gazes met, and her red eyes took on its unusual shimmer. Immediately Zapp felt his body go slack and mind start to go blank causing the female Breed to smirk before a strong cyclone of wind blew sent the still airborne Blood Breed crashing with great force into the ceiling above. She smashed against the weakened structure with great force nearly sending her through the roof entirely before the strong gusts died down and she fell back to earth along with the weakened stone and metal that collapsed down on top of her in a plume of dust and debris knocking over some more abandoned factory supplies. This also succeeded in snapping Zapp out of his near trance and swayed a little trying to refocus as he grit his teeth and tried to think of a way to counteract both the hypersonic shrieks and hypnosis abilities when something on the ground next to him caught his eye. His gaze then went from the object to the fallen and trashed battlefield around them taking important note of a few key details as slowly a plan seemed to finally come together.

However before he could seemingly enact his plan, the pained grunt of Zed caught his attention and he snapped his attention back to the fight only to see that the female Blood Breed had exploded out from under the pile of debris and struck Zed away with a strong kick that clearly hit home with his accumulated injuries before she then set her sights back on Zapp again and took off towards him. Zapp made a quick motion with his left hand before getting to his feet and attempting to wield his sword in his right to strike away at her only to be easily evaded. He quickly found himself nearly nose to nose as she grasped the sides of his face keeping him from turning his head or averting his gaze and allowed her strange power to become active as they shimmered their unusual red light. Unable to tear his gaze away Zapp's tense body again slowly slackened and his grey eyes seemed to soften and lose focus as Homuramaru was eventually dispelled. Zed saw this and tried to come to his teammate's aid only to come face to face with a hypersonic shriek as she quickly turned her head away from Zapp to retaliate and sending him tumbling back across the ground dispelling his weapon from the high-pitched assault on his senses. As she glanced between the injured fish-man hybrid and the dazed Zapp, a wicked and sadistic idea seemed to come to mind.

"I suppose I could end the white-haired one myself now that he is vulnerable and unable to effectively fight back against me now. But why do that when I have a much more entertaining idea in mind," She prefaced before turning her attention to Zapp and releasing her grip on him. "Oh Fang Hunter, _kill your little friend for me_!" She demanded as her shimmering red eyes illuminated her command. Zapp was still for a moment as his bangs overshadowed his face before he robotically moved towards Zed, summoning his Crimson Honebami blade and allowing it to drag across the ground.

"You can't be serious," Zed declared clearly vexed and in mild trepidation at the thought of having to fight his senior pupil. "How could you let your guard down to allow that insufferable fiend to sink her claws into you so easily? What would Master say?" He asked trying to gain some sort of reaction from the white haired male. Zed's yellow eyes searched Zapp's glazed grey ones before something seemed to click and an expression of grave understanding was soon apparent on the Shinatobe Branch user's face and he clenched his webbed fists before reforming his Piercing Dragon Spear. "You damned fool," he muttered as he took a defensive stance with his blood trident while the withered female Blood Breed watched on in sick amusement.

Zapp reacted first haphazardly swinging the massive blade like a bat, which Zed avoided, before following up with another swing. Zapp continued to swing the large and powerful sword at Zed from all angles as he deflected and parried each blow with his trident as he was forced to retreat backwards near the closest wall where several fallen and smashed crates and oil drums resided but Zapp was persistent. Zed barely managed to avoid the worst of another swing of Zapp's massive, jagged blade in time though it still opened a nasty gash along his right arm before it smashed into the fallen mountain of supplies further destroying them and even cracking some containers completely open. However this did not deter either of them as Zapp continued to swing and thrust his blade aiming for Zed but somehow missing every time as he instead ended up just causing more collateral damage as he destroyed the surrounding containers and supplies. Finally Zed saw the opportunity for a counterattack and instead channeled a small burst of wind into his webbed hand to blow Zapp back in a makeshift, Wind-Weaving technique to gain some distance from his aggressor. This only succeeded in blowing him back slightly before he withstood the harsh winds by digging his weapon into the ground for purchase and riding the gust out until it subsided. He then dispelled his blade and created several blood threads from his left hand in an apparent Sky-Slicing Strands technique that was aimed at Zed. He in turn attempted to generate another Wind-Weaving technique, this time to propel himself up and away over Zapp while simultaneously blowing away what he could of the approaching blood threads upon making his touchdown behind Zapp and just before the female Breed. Using this moment to his advantage, Zed hurled his trident towards the female Breed who reacted swiftly and easily sidestepped the attack with a minor scowl of irritation before retaliating with a hypersonic shriek that blasted Zed back into close proximity of the manipulated Zapp.

"I grow tired of this boring scuffle, _end him already_ ," she hissed her command at Zapp to which he wordlessly complied. He generated more threads and launched them forward at high speed, which Zed was unable to avoid in time due to the blow to his senses. Zed was tightly ensnared in Zapp's blood threads, trapping his arms at his sides and suspending the dazed Zed a few feet off the ground, leaving him immobile and defenseless. The smirk on the female Blood Breed's face was nothing short of insidiously smug. "Excellent! You might make a proper slave after all. Now _finish him_!" Zapp robotically brandished his Zippo lighter in his right hand and flicked the lid open with a metallic sound as he kept his left hand that was clenched into a fist wielding the ensnaring blood threads up. But before Zapp was about to flick the switch and charbroil the helpless Zed, he made a subtle flick of his wrist with his right and suddenly, the female Blood Breed was yanked by her ankle sending her careening into the pile of destroyed crates and drums they had created. Stunned and confused the monstrous female could only gawk in astonishment as her red eyes took notice of a cocky smirk that made it's way to Zapp's formerly blank expression.

"Wha-What?" She stuttered between the shock and the wind that was seemingly knocked out of her.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not really into BDSM play, especially with some psycho-chick Blood Breed," Zapp coldly retorted as he released Zed's bindings allowing him to drop to the ground as he steadily overcame the ringing on his ears and his senses began to clear up as he held his head in his hand. Slowly the shock seemed to fade and a look of indignant rage appeared on her face as she menacingly rose to her feet.

"You— _You wretched man!_ How _dare_ you make a fool out of ME!" She screeched furiously as she dragged out the last word into yet another hypersonic shriek. In a shocking and brazen move, Zapp reacted by intercepting the attack head-on using his body as a human shield to protect his fellow Big Dipper Style colleague from the brunt of the shockwaves, not backing down even as a small trickle of blood ran from his ears. Taking advantage of this opportunity Zed, who had by that point fully recovered his bearings, quickly and wordlessly controlled a decent amount of blood from the wound he had received from Zapp's sword and shot it forward past himself and Zapp. He willed his blood to manipulate a large glob of oil from one of the fallen containers behind the female Blood Breed, which then enveloped her head and left her garbling and bubbling for air under the thick, black material and effectively silencing her and her hypersonic shriek as she could not recover air for another attack.

"Big Dipper Style Blood Technique Application: Inverted Fish Bowl!" Zed declared as he strained his concentration to keep the more viscous liquid contained as she thrashed allowing Zapp time to recover. Shakily he raised the hand with his Zippo lighter again and extended several blood threads out to ensnare the female Breed before flicking the switch and igniting his threads. This in turn ignited not just her but the oil bubble as it was set aflame and the female Blood Breed soon found her entire head engulfed in intense flames like a match stick. Zed lost his concentration allowing the rest of the burning liquid to engulf her body as she wailed in pain. He then summoned his trident and switched to add his winds to the inferno as the two Libra members named their signature attacks.

"Seventh Hell/Heavenly Winged Bellows!" The ensuing fire tornado was much more intense than before thanks to the flammable liquid as she screeched in pain again allowing the two a brief respite.

"Your plan was too reckless, not to mention, too close for comfort," Zed chided casting his partner a mild glare as he nursed his wounded arm.

"It worked didn't it?" Zapp simply replied curtly, head pounding from the toll on his senses. Before Zed could reply a final, albeit wounded sounding screech generated enough shockwaves to put the lingering blaze that engulfed her out. However she now no longer looked recognizable as either human nor Blood Breed; her former beauty, even in her withered state, was gone from the intense flames that had burned away so much of her that she now resembled something of a blackened and unrecognizable corpse. Embers fell from her body as she twitched and tried to regenerate but could not do so fast or efficiently enough from the devastating combination. Her dried, red eyes fell upon them before she opened her mouth to speak and managed to rasp out the most important question she could think of.

"B-But how? H-How could you resist my influence so easily?" She questioned. Before either of the two could reply, she then took closer notice of something: Zapp's left hand was badly cut and bleeding steadily as red drops dripped down from the palm of his hand. A glance down at his feet then revealed a bloody and jagged piece of glass that he had apparently dropped upon initially releasing Zed from his restraints. That was when realization that what Zapp must have motioned for prior to her attempts to entrance him was the shard of glass and that he had been clutching it tightly the whole time in order to use the pain to distract himself from her attempts at hypnotizing and manipulating him. Zapp seemed to realize what she had figured out and decided to respond as he tore off a strip of his black undershirt to wrap around his hand to bandage it.

"Can't say I didn't warn you that things would turn out like this; you were just too full of yourself and your own looks that you thought that we couldn't overcome your shitty hypnosis." He tied it off before casting a lazy, indifferent glance towards her direction and making one last remark. "But ultimately, I just don't like women with superiority complexes especially when they think they've gotten their way, so that was kind of a turn off for me." No sooner had he said this did the stunned female Blood Breed find her badly scorched self soon swarmed by a couple of Femt's demon beasts who proceeded to inject her with the anti-Blood Breed venom and further hinder her recovery as she was now easily overtaken.  
_

Steven and K.K. were managing to hold their own as well as could be expected in spite of their growing injuries thanks to the relentless speed of their opponent. The spiked, slender Blood Breed did not make things easy for them as he continued to hammer at the two Libra members from all sides using his new sharpened appendages to his advantage to deal extra damage. Even as the two successfully countered each predicted attack, they had to contend with the protruding spikes and blades that punctured their skin and thus were forced to stay strictly on the defensive in order to avoid further serious injury and blood loss.

With his injured leg Steven found close combat growing to be a bit more difficult as he lashed out with repeated kicks to deflect one jagged swipe of claws after another before following up with going on the offensive to unleash an icicle spike to skewer the Blood Breed but failing after it was easily shattered and he was knocked back unable to effectively regain his footing. Thankfully K.K. had been there to keep the speedy vampire at bay but on the other hand she could not land a decisive long-range shot since the Blood Breed was too quick with his newfound traction and constant movement. Close combat for her was just as bad a prospect as she could not get an accurate shot at close range especially without risking serious injury and thus was forced to counter the vampire every time he drew close before trying to regain some distance between herself and the bloodsucking monster. However sensing this, the slender Blood Breed persisting in doggedly chasing after K.K. until Steven was able to intervene with an icy, flying jump kick that was easily avoided and further aggravating the Esmeralda Blood Freeze user's injury upon making contact with the ground as he winced and grunted from the impact.

Seeing Steven's discomfort, K.K. stuck by the scar-faced man's side and instead went from defensive mode to sniper mode and trained her sights on the Blood Breed that was coming back around at them. Taking a steadying breath, her one good eye tracked the approaching Blood Breed's movements before opening fire once he had drawn close enough to not be able to dodge and took accurate and deadly aim to unleash another point blank shot between the eyes, blasting his head back from the recoil and stunning him before blasting out each of the Blood Breed's joints effectively, albeit temporarily, crippling him as electricity coursed through him. This left more than enough time for Steven, who was now kneeling on the ground rather than standing to avoid extra unnecessary damage, to encase the ground underneath the soles of his feet with ice and extending it outwards towards the vampire until that entrapped his limbs before slowly traveling up and encasing the pesky Blood Breed in a temporary, icy prison.

"I'm starting to run low on ammo Starphase," K.K. informed grimly as she quickly reloaded her empty clip and retook her aim at the Blood Breed as the ice began to rattle and crack. "If we're going to take this bastard down, we need a concrete plan and we need it fast otherwise we won't last much longer!"

"I'm working on it," Steven replied coolly though subtle unease also laced his tone. But before either of them could deliberate further, the inevitable happened and the slender Blood Breed burst out of his icy confinement before continuing his charged rush forward towards them. Again K.K. opened fire aiming for well-aimed shots at his joints and other exposed weak points in an effort to slow him while Steven again generated ice underfoot this time to produce icicles as obstacles and barriers to keep the persistent Breed at a distance. However in a surprising move the Blood Breed then curled himself into a ball and used the powerful momentum of his speed and well as the spikes on his body for traction to perform some kind of spin dash attack. K.K.'s electrified bullets ricocheted off his bladed hide and the icy barriers Steven put up were practically steamrolled through before the crafty Blood Breed launched himself up before impacting the ground where Steven and K.K. stood only moments before had they not gotten out of the way in time and impacting the ground with a shower of dust and debris. Reacting instantly to shield their faces, they instantly recognized the smokescreen to again be a cover for an ambush and stood back to back to prevent from being taken from behind. Their suspicions were soon confirmed as the slender Breed then lashed out a kick through the smoke still successfully managing to strike K.K. away who was able to successfully guard in time before going for the weakened Steven. He reacted on instinct and lashed out his injured leg, striking the Breed square in the face with an ice-laden kick that simultaneously froze and shattered half the Blood Breed's head though his body still acted accordingly to attempt a swipe at Steven's body. He narrowly jumped back in time, ignoring the twinge of discomfort of the wound to his leg, and avoiding the worst of the monster's claws as it tore his suit but further aggravated the previous wound to his side. Unfortunately, even with half a head that was in the process of slowly regenerating, Steven could not fully avoid a follow up attack as the Blood Breed landed a solid roundhouse kick to Steven's front as he barely brought his arms to guard in time and he was sent sprawling backwards.

"What's the matter Fang Hunters? What happened to that bravado from before, hmm?" the slender Breed inquired mockingly with an infuriatingly cocky smirk as the two recovered while silently glowering at him. "I suppose in reality your bark was really worse than your bite like I expected. Even if you can predict my movements you cannot hope to match my level of speed especially now that your little tricks don't work against me any more."

"You're clearly the one who likes running his mouth," Steven coldly interjected. "And we aren't beaten yet so I suggest you hold your tongue otherwise you're going to look pretty foolish if you say something you might come to later regret."

"Oh please, don't even try to intimidate me. It's you two who are the foolish ones and I'm going to enjoy spilling your filthy blood all over the ruins of this forgotten place!" the slender Blood Breed snarled before he charged headlong right at Steven whose demeanor seemed to take a noticeable shift. Throwing caution to the wind in regards to his injuries, Steven again lashed out with his leg to block another kick with his own as more blood trickled from his wounds brought on by the force of the impact.

"My blood huh?" Steven repeated with a ghost of a sly smirk and small gleam in his eye. "Funny choice of words actually." K.K., who took instant notice of Steven's expression, took the opportunity to attempt to fire off a few more rounds looking to strike the Blood Breed while he was vulnerable only to have him break away from his clash with Steven and avoid the shots entirely. She then glanced back briefly to Steven before refocusing on their opponent.

"You know I normally hate it when you get that smug look on your face, but in this case I think I can tolerate it." Steven did not reply save for giving them a sly grin.

"It doesn't matter what kind of plan you have, you're finished!" The slender Blood Breed interjected as he struck his arm downward slashing more grooves into the concrete below where Steven previously stood. The Esmerelda Blood Freeze user then retaliated, now doing his best to ignore the majority of his wounds completely as he delivered a series of well-placed frozen kicks to the Higher Class bloodsucker causing more blood to trickle from his open wounds and more specks to go flying from each impact as he parried one hard blow after another while doing his best to avoid the worst of the protruding spikes. Meanwhile K.K., taking note of the unusual and reckless shift in Steven's demeanor but still trusting that it was part of his plan, fired off several electrified rounds to cut off any potentially devastating attack that would harm Steven and assist in stunting his movements. At first, the cocky vampire assumed the two were acting on basic survival instincts in a desperate, last-ditch effort of panicked retaliation but slowly he began to take note of something unsettling: his speed and movements were gradually decreasing and becoming more stiff. This in turn left him more open and vulnerable as Steven and K.K.'s attacks were starting to make their marks more consistently and effectively. Electrified bullets tore into him causing sparking electricity to lock up his muscles even more leaving Steven's strong kicks and encroaching ice to eat away at his strength and stamina as he attempted to regenerate from his injuries.

"What's…going on?" The slender Breed questioned sounding mildly alarmed as he found it harder to move after taking a particularly effective hit from the shards of ice generated by Steven. A tingling sensation from his regenerating wounds then quickly drew his attention and he glanced down only for his red eyes to widen upon taking note of the thin layer of frost that was slowly crystallizing over his body. "What is this?!"

"I'm surprised you really need to be told considering you're supposed _intelligence_ and _superiority_ ," Steven replied with a twinge of sarcastic ire. "You thought that freezing the battlefield was our only strategy but in reality there are other methods to slowing your movements besides simply taking away your traction. For example, did you know that frozen cells can't regenerate, especially if they're repeatedly breaking down from constant and rapid movement." A cold chill ran through the slender Blood Breed as the biting cold that overtook him was now overwhelming and the layer of frost coming from his regenerating wounds thickened enveloping his entire body as Steven declared the nature of his affliction.

"Esmeralda Blood Freeze: Aguja del Cero Absoluto!" Steven let out a cold exhale of breath as he fully allowed the ice affinity in his blood activate to its fullest.

"But…when?" The slender Blood Breed numbly questioned trembling against the ice coursing through him breaking him down at a cellular level until a look understanding that shifted into anger crossed the vampire's formerly smug face. "The blood from your injuries…you bastard…!"

"Even with your tireless regeneration abilities, it takes time to rebuild and replace those frozen cells you lost so I suggest you not try to move otherwise you might break down entirely," Steven informed coolly. "Of course you're welcome to try; it would make things much easier for us," he added with a small smirk, which only further enraged the slender Blood Breed.

"Don't get so full of yourself you damn Huma!" he snarled. "If you think something like this will be enough to stop me you're dead wrong!" No sooner had he said that, the slender Blood Breed forced his frozen body to move and flex forcing his frozen muscles to rip and tear under the exertion and breaking free of what he could from the ice. In a last-ditch display of speed he then took off towards K.K. knowing that Steven would not be able to move in time to be able to intervene due to his injured leg that had likely been pushed to its limit from his constant attacks. K.K. tried to react in time from the sudden action but was unable to fire off even a single shot as again she found herself in a headlock as the Blood Breed's body began to break down from the ice that ate away at him. The exposed muscle and skin froze and decayed further leaving him now almost completely immobile, even causing one of the vampire's arms to fall off, as he attempted to regenerate causing him visible difficulty and distress though he smirked as though he had managed to retake the upper hand.

"Y-You let your guard down again Fang Hunter," he stuttered slightly with a condescending if not slightly nervous chuckle. "I might be in a bit of a bind but I know you won't do anything that will put your comrade's life on the line. That's what your 'humanity' does to you; it makes you weak, unable to act objectively and do what needs to be done. But you can't bring yourself to act out of some ridiculous act of valor or concern, can you? In that case, for her sake you'd better show some mercy otherwise her blood will be on your hands." He began to laugh waiting for the look of either reluctant submission or defiant aggression to appear on both their faces but it never came. Instead in a shocking and unexpected move, K.K. wordlessly twirled both of her pistols, turning them on herself and fired a shock round of electricity channeled through the barrels of her guns into her own body. This act electrocuted both her and by extension the Blood Breed who had immediately ceased his laughter and was forced to loosen his grip on her allowing her to break away before blasting several point-blank shots in the head, heart, and stomach blasting him apart. Clearly taken aback by the action, the slender Blood Breed gawked at her spluttering and trying to form a coherent sentence as electricity coupled with the frost that ate away at his body and motor skills even as he continued to try and regenerate from his new wounds.

"B-But…how? W-Why…would you…?" K.K. cut him off abruptly, mildly hurt and stunned from her own reckless stunt.

"You don't know the first thing about what humanity is actually capable of you goddamn prick!" She undid her red trench coat and opened it up to reveal a heavy-duty, rubber-insulated bulletproof vest over her black crop-top. "I knew a coward like you would try the same cheap tactics as before if it came down to it, so I took some initiative and was biding my time to take you down a peg." This was when Steven took the opportunity to step back in to the conversation.

"It seems like we gave you too much credit if you think humanity can be broken down into just basic black and white principles. So a small word to the wise to take to your grave," Steven paused to give the immobile vampire a cold and merciless smirk. "The next time you get the idea in your head that you can do as you please remember this: don't pick a fight with Libra unless you're prepared for the full brunt of our anger." With that said, several more of Femt's demon beasts ambushed the incapacitated Blood Breed and tore into him injecting their potent venom before he could so much as register what was even happening.  
_

Blood Hummer and the burly, man-bat Blood Breed continued their exchange of heavy blows in a hail of brutal punches. The beastly Blood Breed however, in all his experience and power despite his slightly smaller stature, was steadily wearing down Blood Hummer's endurance as he fought to maintain his fortified defenses and deal the damage he was receiving right back. After blocking a vicious right hook, the two-in-one Libra team kept their guard up and countered with a double-fisted swing upwards into the Breed's jaw sending him staggering back a bit from the impact but was otherwise relatively unfazed. However they were not finished yet as Blood Hummer growled and unleashed a flurry of rapid blows in another Hundred Crack Fist of the Me technique. To protect from this, the monstrous Blood Breed crossed his hairy arms protectively in front of him to guard and dug his heels into the ground as each fist made solid contact with punishing power that steadily began to push him backward.

Blood Hummer kept up the assault as he took his own steps to literally push the resilient Blood Breed back and he steadily slid further and further back across the pavement even as he dug his clawed feet into the concrete. After being pushed back another foot or two, and realizing that Blood Hummer was likely trying to sandwich him between himself and the wall to ensure he couldn't retaliate in such close quarters given Blood Hummer's advantage in size, the man-bat Blood Breed then switched tactics. Again, the vampire went for a low blow, lashing out a taloned foot to simultaneously slash and again sweep out Blood Hummer's legs out from under him. This proved to be quite effective as Deldro, in his efforts to increase their Exocrimson's maximum power output, had forgotten to fortify his short and vulnerable legs. As a result Blood Hummer was forced onto one knee, though thanks to Exocrimson's general protective exterior, the claws themselves did vey little damage. However it left his guard momentarily lowered allowing the beastly Blood Breed to land a follow-up strike putting Blood Hummer flat on his back as he struggled to right himself upwards like a turtle trapped on its back but couldn't due to the limited mobility of the extra layer of hardened blood.

"You're wide open!" The burly, man-bat Breed declared as he attempted to land a deadly blow downward with sharp claws extended looking to crush and gouge out where Hummer was located inside. In a split-second decision, Blood Hummer planted his hands on the ground and Deldro willed the blood surrounding his fingers to form thin but strong tendrils to quickly push himself up out of the way rolling backwards just in time to avoid the attack and right himself back on his feet.

Snarling, the Blood Breed tired again and this time was successful in landing a strong cross blow to Blood Hummer's torso, the force of which rattled Hummer inside as the handsome, dark-skinned man grit his teeth in discomfort, before he quickly followed it up with an uppercut to the jaw. This caused him to stumble back leaving him open to receive another punch to the face only for Blood Hummer to this time respond by catching the vampire's fist in his large hand. With a loud growl, Blood Hummer used his great strength to lift and bash the burly Blood Breed's body around repeatedly into the concrete, debris, walls and wherever else could to crush and snap the bones in the Blood Breed's body and deal the most amount of damage he could before he was swung around and hurled into the air. As he sailed through the air, the Blood Breed saw he was approaching a warped but still intact metal frame of the catwalk that was left from the collapse. Reacting quickly, the Blood Breed reoriented himself in the air so that he could grab the metal as he passed by causing it to warp and groan as the metal twisted before yielding and snapping off but allowing the Blood Breed to slow himself enough to keep from being flung out of the building again. Instead he used the remaining momentum from being hurled to plant his feet against the wall near the high ceiling, using his claws to fixate himself without falling, and gathering his strength to push off with enough force to leave behind massive cracks in the wall and open up another, new hole in the compound's structure. With a roar, the Blood Breed flung itself directly towards Blood Hummer who brought up his large arms to guard just in time before the Blood Breed made impact resulting in a large cloud of dust and debris.

As the dust settled, Blood Hummer emerged from the smoke and debris, some dust and chunks of rock falling off his large body generated by the impact as he shook off the damage and growing fatigue. Hummer, who had been largely and unusually silent since his forced retreat into Deldro's insides, finally could not keep quiet any longer.

"Deldro, we need to change things up," he implored from within his blood-covered haven. "Attacking head-on like this isn't working against him anymore and I _know_ you can't take the strain of keeping up our extra layer of defenses much longer just to keep me safe."

"Like hell I can," Deldro gruffly rebuked. "Maintaining these defenses is the only thing keeping you alive right now. If I drop my guard, even a little to get more mobility, this guy will tear into us and that'll be the end for _both_ of us. Even if our last plan seemed to work, we can't rely on it anymore since it's too risky so we'll just have to hammer away at him until we figure something else out." Before Hummer could voice his opposition on the less than stellar plan of action, a slightly distorted, Russian-accented voice cut into their conversation appearing directly behind them through the last wisps of generated dust.

"Instead of foolishly discussing your plans out in the open, perhaps you should focus more on the fight at hand." Startled, Blood Hummer turned and instinctively threw a wild punch at the Blood Breed's monstrous, bat-like face. However, it was the man-bat Blood Breed's turn to catch the thrown fist with one hand before using the other arm to slam an elbow down onto the joint with great force. While this did not injure Hummer at all since it was not done to his true body, he still vaguely registered the unpleasant sensation through his and Deldro's shared link while the force behind the hard blow caused further strain on Deldro's solidified body and concentration as he grunted from the exertion of the hit to his defenses. Slowly the hardened layer of blood cracked and chipped away exposing the red and black patterned body underneath the red sheen of solidified blood. Now seeing a visible chink in their armor the emboldened Alterworldly monster withdrew his elbow before pulling back and unleashing a strong series of single-handed punches to Blood Hummer's body, again rattling the vulnerable Hummer inside as he grunted in distress, and further clawing and chipping away at the persistent layer of hardened blood. Trying to regain control, Blood Hummer grabbed the Blood Breed's arm with his free arm and attempted to pry the vampire's iron-clad grip off him but a final punch to his weakened gut still managed to hit home and even reach the stomach of Hummer encased inside.

Doubling over from the hit in a mutual reaction of discomfort, the two sides momentarily relinquished their grips on each other as the extra, hardened layer of protective blood that Deldro initially enacted chipped off and dispelled from the damage and lack of concentration. It was that same drop in guard that the Blood Breed needed to then plunge his claws deep into Deldro's slightly wavering Exocrimson body. Using the sharp digits and his incredible strength, he began to pry open the exoskeleton as Deldro fought to keep himself together but it was a battle that he was steadily loosing. Letting out a string of grunts and curses while fighting to maintain his abused form, Deldro began to inwardly panic as he felt the strands of blood that enveloped Hummer start to come loose. He tried to deliver a series of desperate punches to the beastly Blood Breed's face in order to get him to relinquish his grip but it was ultimately shrugged off. Instead the vampire gave a feral grin that looked downright disturbing on his monstrous face and displayed nearly every fang in his mouth, before grunting and put more effort into opening up his opponent further gradually exposing more and more of Hummer's actual body. For once, the normally laid-back man felt a twinge of actual fear at the predicament he was in and his eyes darted around, mind racing as he tried to think of some way out of this when he caught sight of something useful located behind the hulking blood Breed through the straining strands of blood Deldro composed himself up of. Instantly getting an idea, Hummer's formerly panicked expression shifted into determination.

"Deldro," he said in a soft but firm tone hoping that the Breed wouldn't be able to catch. "Drop Exocrimson." This request was naturally met with incredulous reply.

"What? Are you crazy Dog? He'll kill you the second you're exposed!" Deldro protested but Hummer did not back down as he replied instantly almost cutting him off.

"You need to rest otherwise we'll both die for sure if you wear yourself out by fighting against him. Trust me, I have an idea." Deldro was about to refuse again when he picked up Hummer's biorhythms and sensed his rarely defiant resolve. Deldro was silent for a moment before he relented with a small growl.

"You better not get yourself killed dumbass." With that Deldro finally released his hold on their Exocrimson form and it dispelled into strands of blood before retracting back into Hummer's body. Caught momentarily off guard by having nothing more to latch onto, the man-bat Blood Breed faltered slightly as the now free Hummer dropped to the ground and then used his much smaller size to dart between the monstrous bloodsucker's legs and run behind him. Quickly regaining his composure, the Blood Breed snarled as he turned setting his sights on his vulnerable target.

"So you think you can run from me you coward?" He taunted before taking off after him galloping on all fours. Somehow Hummer managed to make it to what he had spotted before, a small and thankfully undamaged, half-full propane tank that had been dislodged from the supplies that were strewn about from the initial collapse of the catwalk system, just as the Blood Breed was within inches of swiping at him. Grabbing the tank by the handle with both hands, Hummer swung it with all his might and it successfully connected with the man-bat's face, stunning him as his head was suddenly knocked to the side from the unexpected blow. However, the Breed's outstretched claws still managed to successfully land a grazing blow to Hummer's side resulting in a nasty gash that instantly drew blood and even shredded a good portion of his white long-sleeved shirt. Letting out a pained cry, Hummer winced but stood resolute and took another swing with the hefty object just as the beastly Blood Breed recovered and opened his jaws wide to sink his fangs into Hummer looking to take a bite out of the man. Instead of flesh, sharp fangs sunk into old metal, which groaned and cracked open spilling and splashing propane over most of the Blood Breed, spilling into his mouth and some of it even getting into his eyes as the taste, smell and stinging sensation caused the monstrous Breed to let out an aggravated snarl as he recoiled slightly back in disorientation. Dropping the rest of the useless container with a metal clang, Hummer now saw his opportunity, which Deldro immediately picked up on. Forming two large, bloody hands connected to fluid arms, Hummer and Deldro grasped the beastly vampire and swung him around in a wide arc, soaring just overhead and narrowly missing Lucky, Patrick, Neyka and Chain as they fought off a few of the Lower Class Blood Breeds before slamming him with a bone-crushing impact into another stack of wooden crates and similar propane tanks. Taking note of their presence Hummer glanced over to their direction and shouted out to them.

"Shoot the tanks, hurry!" Picking up on Hummer's plan, Patrick obliged and fired a few charged rounds until the desired effect happened and the propane tanks exploded generating a nasty fireball that engulfed the downed Blood Breed with a roar. Hummer brought an arm up to shield himself from the blast that further rocked the compound until the concussion waves died down but the inferno remained. Letting out a relieved sigh and wincing again at the injury to his side, Deldro's bloody head exposed itself from Hummer's slit wrist.

"Not too shabby there Dog," he complimented. Hummer gave his companion his usual smile until something suddenly shot out of the intense flames. The badly burned and damaged form of the man-bat Blood Breed tackled Hummer faster than either of the two could react and slammed the injured duo up against a metal pillar with one clawed hand. Seeing this, Lucky, Patrick, Neyka and Chain proceeded to run towards them to assist but before they could they were ambushed and dragged into another fight with more of the remaining Lower Class Blood Breeds. Struggling against the powerful hold, Hummer and Deldro both knew they were in serious trouble now.

"You damned Fang Hunter, did you really think you could kill me so easily?" He questioned menacingly as he regenerated from the worst of his injuries though, his burns were still plainly visible over patches of missing hair and the sound of snapping and mending bone. "The fight you put up was a decent one, I'll admit it. But ultimately you were too inexperienced, even with your idiotic fighting style and petty tricks. And now…you die!" The man-bat Blood Breed then raised his other hand up clenching it into a fist in preparation to end them with a final, devastating blow and Hummer grit his teeth to brace himself for the worst until the loud sound of someone clearing their throat came.

"Ahem!" a haughty female voice interrupted causing not only Hummer and Deldro, but also the man-bat Blood Breed to pause and simultaneously turn their heads to the source. There stood Aligula, arms crossed across her chest and an expression of clear displeasure as she glared daggers at the vampire even behind her metallic mask. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get your grubby claws off them, or else!" The man-bat Blood Breed blinked his red eyes a few times a bit taken aback before relaxing into mild amusement as he again gave an unsettling, fanged smirk.

"Or else what, little girl?" He questioned tauntingly before he began to laugh. Clearly irked by this, Aligula felt her irritation rise and she visibly glowered causing the eye in the middle of her mask to open up and cast the vampire an angry look. With an aggravated snarl she wordlessly snapped her gloved fingers and something large dropped down behind her. The Blood Breed stopped laughing as he was soon met with a larger, half-mechanized demon beast that nearly dwarfed him as its red, robotic eyes locked onto its target and let out a low snarl.

"Sick 'em boy!" Aligula demanded pointing a lone finger at the man-bat Breed and with a roar her creation complied. The beastly vampire dropped Hummer and Deldro in shock and tried to retaliate but was almost instantly overtaken and promptly torn to literal pieces as the organic half worked to puncture and pump the recovering Blood Breed with it's venom. Stunned, the two-in-one Libra operative could only watch the struggle before glancing to Aligula who moved to stand nearly beside him. "Unlike Femt I only had time to whip up one toy and its basically single use before it detonates. I _was_ planning on using it on Pain but after seeing what that lousy, jerk-face did, I changed my mind. _Nobody_ hurts _my_ man!"

"Uh, thanks for that I guess," Hummer said not sure what else to say. Aligula turned her head to look at Hummer and Deldro ready to give some snarky reply, only to get promptly cut off upon catching sight of Hummer's exposed body through his torn clothing and blood. Instantly her face went bright red and she let out a delighted squeal before latching her arms around his shoulders and neck in a hug.

"Ohmygod, even injured and covered in blood you're still the hunkiest dreamboat ever babe!" Tired and injured, Hummer didn't move as she nuzzled against him even though he instinctively went rigid and was clearly uncomfortable while Deldro became instantly vocal and aggressive.

"Get the hell off you crazy bitch!" It was by this point the wounded party of Steven, K.K., Zapp, Zed, and the now available Lucky, Chain, Patrick, and Neyka approached to lend the flustered and injured duo a hand. Zapp and Zed grabbed Aligula and pulled her off while K.K. assisted Hummer to his feet and Deldro, who for the most part, managed to quiet down though was still clearly on edge as he cast dirty glares and flipping the bird with one bloody tendril Aligula's way. Going instantly from love struck to indignant at the unwanted interference, said girl began to flail and protest like a toddler who was being denied her favorite toy.

"Let go of me, he's mine! You can't stop true love dammit!" Despite being largely and naturally physically stronger than the petite Queen of Monomania, their injuries made holding onto her difficult especially as she struggled in their grasp causing Zapp to grumble and curse at her, telling her in no uncertain terms to cram it until Lucky's gruff and irritated voice snapped them all out of their antics.

"Knock it off already! We've got bigger things to worry about right now. We may have neutralized most of the other threats but Klaus still needs our help in dealing with the King of Pain," Lucky declared indicating to Klaus and Pain who were still locked in fierce combat. While Klaus was continuing to hold his own well enough against the Elder Class Breed, the sight of blood coming from his multiple injuries was still concerning. Switching back out of her fan-girl mode, Aligula shoved Zapp and Zed off of her before brushing herself off and letting out an aggravated huff.

"Hmph, I guess some things are just too difficult for you meatheads to handle," she snidely remarked. However before either of them (particularly Zapp and Deldro) could open their mouths to retort, she then continued. "Luckily it looks like someone else is already two steps ahead of you." Again before they could question the meaning of Aligula's words, the ground beneath them began to rumble slightly and ominously. Collectively they all turned their heads towards the source and felt an odd mixture of both relief and dread.  
_

Another strong kick nearly sent Klaus stumbling back though he maintained his guard and responded in kind with punching the ground to erect another blood cross beneath the King of Pain's feet. This attack was almost entirely avoided as he flew upwards to avoid it but Klaus' attack was faster than anticipated and it successfully managed to tear through Pain's wing. With a sizzle of purifying blood, this caused Pain to lose altitude and ungracefully plummet to the ground where Klaus then quickly followed up with summoning another cross to crush him downward onto the vampire leaving him in a deep crater before he resumed his defensive Spartan-like battle stance. While completely unrelenting in his fight, Klaus couldn't deny that he was starting to grow more and more weary from their drawn out battle due to the loss of blood from both his constant attacks and his worsening injuries. Outwardly though he did his best not to let it show as he maintained an unyielding expression and stance but his façade was slowly slipping. He panted from the mild exhaustion in subtle, controlled breaths while trickles of sweat ran down his body mildly stinging his many open wounds caused by Pain's claws and tail. Pain on the other hand showed little if any signs of weariness even as he erupted out from under the purifying blood cross still regenerating from the formidable attacks Klaus was able to dish out. With a rapid succession of swipes of both claws and tail, Pain attempted to gouge out chunks of Klaus' flesh but the man reacted in time going immediately on the defensive and countering and deflecting every blow with his gauntlet and knuckleduster, opting to avoid further using his blood techniques until there was a better opportunity and to further conserve his strength. Pain however quickly picked up on Klaus' shift in tactics and also took notice of Klaus' mildly haggard state as some of Pain's hits were not being effectively stopped and Klaus was gaining more cuts than he would have ever allowed. This caused a wide, ferocious grin to appear on Pain's face that nearly split it in half.

"Your movements are becoming more sluggish Fang Hunter. What's wrong, are you getting tired?" Klaus grit his teeth, unable to help a low, frustrated growl before he raised a foot and attempted to kick the insufferable Blood Breed away to gain some much needed distance. However this was clearly foreseen as Pain responded by avoiding it then wrapping his tail around his leg, exposed spikes digging painfully into his skin and drawing blood, and tossing the red-haired man away with relative ease as he tumbled across the ground a good distance away. Recovering as quickly as he could, he saw Pain rapidly approach out of the corner of his eye, quickly closing the distance between them. Just as Klaus was about to rise off the ground from his knees he felt the strength in his legs falter ever so slightly causing mild alarm to shoot through him. Pain's evil smirk grew a bit wider and bore his claws menacingly as Klaus prepared his knuckleduster for a defensive counterattack when the ground beneath them began to rumble.

Before either of them could question the new happening, something large slammed into the King of Pain with great force sending him sideways. Pain reoriented himself and dug his claws and tail into the concrete for traction to slow himself before glancing up to take notice of what interfered with his battle: another demon beast, much larger than the others (going back to its original size of that of a decently-sized truck) but it also seemed a bit different from the others for some reason. It acted more on edge and restless as it twitched and jerked about every now and then, almost like it was dealing with some inner discomfort. Eventually it refocused and sniffed the air to get a lock back on its target and roaring once it did before it charged at the Elder Class Breed, its tail poised and ready to strike. Mildly taken aback by the large and more formidable size, Pain quickly recovered before wordlessly jumping out of the way, narrowly avoiding the stinger tail as it struck the ground where he stood only seconds before, and then following up by attempting to chomp blindly at the Elder but missing by a large margin. For a moment it appeared lost and unsure of what to do before it uncomfortably spasmed once more, nostrils flaring before again locating its prey and charging. Again Pain leapt out of the way, not wanting to cause the creature to detonate prematurely by striking back, causing the larger demon beast to crash clean through a pile of fallen rubble kicking up a large dust cloud.

"This beast may be larger but it seems slower and dumber than the others," Pain mused internally as the creature shook off the debris like a dog shaking water of its body, almost wincing after it was finished. "But it's still a troublesome and relentless adversary and I won't be able to deal with both it and the Fang Hunters at the same time, wounded or not." Making up his mind, Pain glanced to his right and grabbed a large and heavy-looking steel girder buried amongst the rubble with both hands. As the larger demon beast galloped towards Pain, the vampire swung the beam with ease in a wide, upward arc striking the beast's underbelly and left flank with enough monstrous force that the already bent metal buckled slightly sending it airborne a few feet off the ground and most likely breaking, or at the very least cracking, some of the demon beast's ribs as it let out a snarled yelp. Pain then quickly pivoted on both feet whist turning the girder in his hands to the other end, which was much more jagged, and spearing the beast clean through the chest protruding out from the other side. As the demon beast let out a dying wail from the fatal blow and its body began to pulse in preparation of the oncoming detonation, the King of Pain leapt backwards with a mighty flap of wings to avoid the oncoming blast…though not before something small and fast also shot out from the wound on the creature's back. As the demon beast inevitably detonated everyone who observed— Klaus, the rest of Libra, and even Pain—could only gawk, almost comedically, at what they saw.

At least a couple dozen of what looked like badly cloned versions of Sonic (some with missing appendages others with misshapen, enlarged, or deformed features) emerged from the detonation of viscera flying through the air catapulted by the shockwaves but somehow still alive having evidently been hiding inside the creature the whole time and using it as essentially a living, breathing Trojan horse. With multiple chatters and squeaks the Sonic look-alikes scattered in every direction, some running away out of fear while others aggressively lashed out at Pain. However each and every one was met with an untimely fate, either by the Lower Class Breeds or demon beasts who accidentally trampled over them or Pain who quickly recovered from the shock and easily slaughtered the fakes with very little effort, and dissolving into a mushy puddle of white goo. As Klaus took in the outrageous sight still mildly taken aback, a blur of movement caught his eye. He turned his head to the left where the real Sonic hurriedly scampered towards him (having evidently been what initially shot out of the demon beast's corpse, using his mach speed to escape the detonation unscathed). With wide, frantic eyes, Sonic wasted no time in scaling the large man's body in order to perch himself on Klaus' shoulder and thrust out the small, semi-crumpled sheet of notebook paper for him to take with a persistent and pleading series of chatters. Sensing the little monkey's urgency, Klaus wordlessly took the note and read it before his eyes widened in shock and he couldn't help but cast a quick glance over to where the unconscious Leo lay. Pain, who had crushed the last of the fake Sonics against a slab of debris with his tail, took notice of Klaus' evident surprise and followed his gaze to Leo. Instantly the rare twinge of dread and panic welled up in him before fury quickly overtook it as he realized what Klaus now wielded against him. In a desperate and angry attempt to retake the upper hand, Pain sprinted towards Klaus with a furious roar. But before he could even make it halfway, one of the smaller demon beasts blindsided him with a lunging tackle, pinning him to the ground and this time successfully injecting a healthy portion of venom into the Elder Class Blood Breed just before it was kicked off of him. Instantly steam began to rise from his form as Pain got to his feet, his body instantly going to work to repair itself and counteract the corrosive liquid in his system. The demon beast also got onto its limbs snarling and ready to act again until a cheeky voice halted it.

"That'll do for now," Femt declared strolling past his demon beast with his hands situated expertly behind his back. "Good work swine," he also noted aloud for Klaus to hear (although who the latter comment was directed towards, Klaus or Femt's creation, was largely unclear). Pain's red, serpentine eyes widened slightly in shock upon realizing who now stood before him before his gaze narrowed dangerously.

" _You_? What are _you_ doing here, siding with the Fang Hunters of all things?" Pain snarled baring his fangs both out of anger and discomfort. Even through his mask, it was clear by Femt's tone that he was rolling his eyes as he spoke.

"Oh please, I'm just as unhappy about resorting to allying with them as much as you are. But ultimately it was your own fault that you pushed me to such methods when you broke away from my faction and thought you could overthrow your leader, the _rightful_ King of this city." Femt's tone of voice then changed from mild exasperation to low and bitter. "I know I always say you need to have more nonsense, but there's a difference between that and delusion. Or did you _really_ think that you could pull of your little stunt without me finding out about it?" Pain took a confrontational step forward, his fangs still aggressively bared.

"You were _never_ my leader, much less _anyone's_ King. You're just some lowly Beyondian imp with a proclivity for causing chaos and throwing fits whenever things didn't go your way like some kind of petulant man-child." No sooner had Pain finished this sentence did Femt give a subtle hand motion, wordlessly ordering his demon beast to brutally retaliate with a heavy blow of its stinger tail. It plunged into Pain's chest, pinning him to the ground again and pumping a much heavier, more concentrated dose of acidic venom as it dribbled down from Pain's wound with an audible and visual sizzle. Pain let out a loud growl of obvious discomfort and distress and more steam began to pour off his body as his regeneration abilities were forced into overdrive to counteract the anti-Blood Breed liquid. In an act of pure desperation, Pain lashed out with his own forked tail driving it repeatedly into the demon beast's side in an attempt to kill and detonate it (poisoned or not he could easily regenerate from the injuries that the blast wound cause knowing that Femt could not). Foreseeing Pain's intentions, Femt snapped his gloved fingers opening up another wormhole beneath his demon beast's corpse and whisking it away from them and allowing it to detonate somewhere outside the compound judging by the faint rumble of an explosion in the far distance. Slowly Pain got to his feet once more, casting Femt a contorted grimace of both pain and rage, which Femt took as his cue to continue, sounding smugly satisfied.

"Well this is certainly an ironic scenario, isn't it? The King of Pain _in_ pain. Talk about a taste of your own medicine, it must be quite bitter I imagine," Femt chuckled before taking on an air of superiority and edge in his tone. "Let this be a lesson to you, you damned upstart: the next time you play a game, be mindful of who your _real_ opponent is and what kind of things their pawns are capable of before you blindly declare victory…though I suppose this is the last game you and I will ever engage in." The feeling of an overwhelming presence followed by a cold steel nozzle pinned firmly against his back directly over where his heart was located caused Pain to freeze and his pained and angry scowl quickly fell into a stupefied look of horror.

"Game over," Femt declared with a smirk. No sooner had he said this did the burning sensation of purifying blood forcibly introduce itself into his system creating a vibrant crimson light of power and pressure as Klaus declared the words that no Blood Breed wants to hear: their name.

"Zaros Dolor Vari'arno Xaron-Los Worigante Ruperaquet, I hereby seal you! Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique, Form 999: Ewiges Gefängnis!" Klaus pulled his knuckleduster away as ribbons of red blood began to envelop the Elder Class Blood Breed who found himself unable to move and his arms were forced outstretched into a T-shape and he cried out in indignant rage. But just before the red ribbons of light and blood consumed him completely, Pain turned his head as best he could to glance over his shoulder, his red, serpentine eyes open wide and glaring daggers into Klaus and the rest of the approaching Libra team, and gave them a sneer of contempt as he left them with one final, unsettling message.

"Don't think you've won! You may have managed to seal me but you've also sealed _his_ fate as well!" With that, Pain was then finally consumed as the blood and light condensed down before fading and revealing the silver crucifix that Pain was now forever trapped in as it clattered to the ground. Upon seeing the fate of their previously undefeatable leader, the remaining Blood Breeds, including the poisoned but somehow still alive though badly mauled forms of Pain's three Higher Class henchmen, shrunk back before attempting to escape in a last-ditch attempt of survival and cowardice. However, they did not get far as they were all slowly picked off and devoured by the rest of Femt's demon beasts before they too succumbed to their injuries and reached the ends of their lifespan before detonating one by one until none were left.

For a moment everything was deathly still and silent as the Libra team glanced around the destroyed battlefield the factory had become, looking to see what enemies or unpleasant surprises were left. When nothing came, save for Gilbert who slowly pulled up in his Nautilus and the Agasaya Mark Two that Neyka maneuvered close by, realization and relief slowly washed over them like a wave.

"We…we did it. We won," Chain breathed incredulously before everyone else began to lighten up and let out varying cheers of enthusiasm and victory.

"Hell yeah we did!" Patrick cheered as he high-fived an eagerly receptive Neyka and Hummer (who still winced a little from jolt to the injury to his side and causing Deldro to cast the big man a dirty glare as a result as he was also hit with a wave of shooting pain through his bloody form). Patrick then turned to proudly gaze and gesture towards the dented and worn but still solid and impressive form of their creation with his thumb. "And it's thanks in part to this baby. I can't _wait_ to test her out again once we repair the dents and work out the kinks!" Lucky by that time had safely tucked Pain's crucifix prison into one of his overcoat's many inner pockets to be tightly locked away later but then turned his attention towards the ecstatic man and his machine. He glanced the vehicle over before approaching them to study it a bit closer.

"I have to admit it certainly did quite well, especially against the sheer number of Blood Breeds we were facing," he said with an agreeing hum. "I'm not sure how you pulled off being able to lock onto them so efficiently but I'm impressed. It might even become an excellent ballistics weapon against other such threats in the future," he praised giving it a gentle pat on its chassis and causing Patrick to beam with pride. However so sooner had Lucky done this did the damaged ground beneath the Agasaya Mark Two begin to groan and protest. Slowly a large sinkhole opened up (naturally stopping just short of Lucky) causing the custom combat tank to fall into it and down into basement far below, badly destroying it. They thought the worst was over but before they could properly assess the damage, the Agasaya's impact caused the apparently unstable basement floor to crumble and open up into the gorge below where predictably the Agasaya went belly up and rolling over down into the foggy depths below. A good second later a faint boom and flash of fire was observed through the whiteness. Patrick and Neyka stood mouths comically agape in disbelief and despair as the trio glanced down into the nearly endless chasm.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Lucky could only say as Patrick fell to his knees practically bursting into exaggerated tears.

"DAMMIT WHY?" the large man lamented as he pounded the ground with his fists as an equally disappointed Neyka wordlessly consoled him by patting his back before dropping the now useless controller into the gorge as well. The others could only sweatdrop at the weapon maker's misfortune, mildly sympathetic for the both of them. Klaus silently observed this before his mind snapped back to something critically important. Turning back to the damaged battlefield, Klaus' eyes searched the wreckage where they landed on the form of Leo and he hurriedly rushed to his side followed swiftly by Sonic.

"Leonardo," Klaus called out catching the others' attention as even the still upset Patrick and Neyka glanced their way. Klaus knelt down by the lad's side and gently rolled him over on his back, careful to not further exacerbate his injuries, as he visually checked him over. Steven, K.K., Zapp, Zed, Hummer and Deldro, Lucky, Chain, Patrick and Neyka and even Gilbert also jogged over (or limped over in Steven's case) as quickly as they could to see if the young brunet was all right. Leo had finally stopped trembling from the effects the curse had put him through and the curse runes were a dull red, no longer pulsing with light however quiet, wet, and ragged-sounding wheezes still escaped from his mouth. Upon taking notice of the chains that were still present, Steven wordlessly flared out his ice abilities from his good foot to engulf the metal and make them more brittle for Klaus to break. Grasping the metal links with both hands, Klaus pulled and broke them with a small grunt of effort as they finally fell off Leo's abused form causing his dislocated left arm to flop to his side uninhibited. Grimacing at the sight, Klaus gingerly placed his large right arm underneath Leo's back to hold him up and support him and used his left to lightly inspect the worst of his injuries after noticing the blood on his face was fresh as Sonic sat perched on Klaus' shoulder gazing worriedly down at the injured human.

"He's going to be all right…isn't he Klaus?" Hummer asked tentatively looking to their leader for assurance. Klaus however was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"As bad as they are, his injuries are not what is concerning me right now," he admitted gravely as he tried to gently rouse Leo awake. Catching onto Klaus' unease, K.K. looked to the Libra leader as she thought back to Pain's parting words.

"Klausie—" Before she could say anything, a small, pitiful groan escaped from Leo's cracked and bloody lips. His eyelids fluttered before slowly opening wide enough to expose the cracked visage of his blue and slightly dimmed All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods. For a moment Leo struggled to comprehend the nearly overwhelming wall of golden, protective auras surrounding him until their silhouettes took proper shape and a tired look of recognition graced his face before he gave them all a weak and thankful smile. Despite the situation, the rest of the Libra members felt a small wave of relief as well upon seeing him conscious. For a split second it looked like everything was going to be okay after all but as Leo went to open his mouth to speak, Klaus felt his body tense up before he wrenched his head backwards to let out a haunting, raspy scream from his throat.

"LEO!" Klaus and the rest of Libra simultaneously exclaimed in concern. The red-haired man tightened his grip on Leo as best he could to keep him from further injury and additionally causing Sonic to leap off his shoulder in a flustered panic. Suddenly the formerly dull, red curse runes then began to brightly illuminate the darkest shade of crimson that they've ever seen, no longer in pulses but as a persistent and ominous glow.

"Oh no," Lucky mumbled, eyes wide in alarm as he saw this. Leo continued to scream and began convulsing in agony despite his protesting and heavily injured body. Trails of fresh blood began to leak from his cracked, overworked eyes like tears as they again began to smoke only this time the smoke that was being generated was a darker plume than before and the smell of burnt flesh began to waft up to their nostrils. Every time Leo inhaled to let out another anguished scream, he spluttered and coughed up more and more specks of blood.

"Christ Abrams, what's happening?" Steven exclaimed clearly as disturbed as the rest of them were at the sight. Looking at Leo with an expression of grave and fearful apprehension, Lucky then redirected his gaze up to the rest as he informed them of what they likely already feared.

"The Maledictum et Cruciabuntur has become self-aware; it's running rampant in order to carry out it's prime objective," he responded numbly.

"But how? The bastard's gone now so shouldn't the curse be dispelled?" K.K. questioned in aggravated alarm.

"I don't know. But if we don't figure out something in the next few minutes before the curse runes turn black, there will be no more hope left of saving him," Lucky declared grimly staring back down to Leo's writhing form. White-hot panic shot through them all as they glanced at each other and back down to Leo trying to wrack their brains for a possible solution. Suddenly Deldro spoke up.

"Hold on a second Lucky, didn't you tuck away something earlier that might help?" The others looked to the sentient plasma man questioningly. "Those bandages, the ones you got from those big shots in the Order!" Recognition flashed over everyone's expressions as Lucky wordlessly pulled the bindings out to show that he did indeed have them.

"Then we can use those to help Leo!" Hummer exclaimed excitedly feeling hopeful at the revelation. However Lucky's grim expression did not change as he did not move his eyes off Leo.

"…It won't help," Lucky declared pessimistically. "Now that the curse has reached self-awareness it's become too strong to be contained anymore. Even if we were to apply them, at best it would only buy Leonardo a few more minutes worth of suffering." Everyone's expressions fell upon hearing this.

"So what the hell can we do?" Zapp queried, voice tight with frustration and what sounded suspiciously like worry. The others looked to the Blood Breed expert for answers but Lucky couldn't meet their gazes. He could only close his eyes and give a grim and remorseful shake of his head and the message was clear. The white-hot panic was slowly replaced with the ice-cold dread of the reality of the situation as it leeched through them. Klaus tilted his head downwards, tightening his hold on Leo's squirming body, red bangs and rectangular glasses overshadowing his expression as he clenched his teeth so hard that his under bite drew blood against his upper lip. The others were no better off as they clenched their fists, grit their teeth or hung their heads in mournful silence as regret, anger and sorrow churned their insides. Even Sonic felt the gravity of the situation and knew from everyone's reactions what was likely going to happen and he let out a series of pitiful chatter-like whimpers as a result as moisture started to gather in the corners of his large eyes.

Against all the odds they had gone up against, after _everything_ that they had gone through in order to win, is this really how it was going to end? Was Leo really going to die?

For the longest time, silence overtook them all aside from Leo's hoarse screams that started to turn into pained cries and whimpers while Femt and Aligula stood off to the side watching on in silent, though obvious, indifference to the overall situation. Even the surrounding battlefield seemed gravely silent in light of the situation…until the light sound of something wooden clacking on concrete began to fill the air followed by surly, elderly female voice that further snapped them to attention.

"Good grief, are _all_ Huma always so dramatic?" Instantly all heads snapped towards the direction of the new voice, immediately on guard as a short, hunched figure in old, luxurious robes and sporting an intricately carved wooden cane emerged from the shadows. The ram horns that protruded from her skull amongst frayed, unruly silver hair and blue-tinted skin stood out clearly even in the faint natural light of the Alterworldly night that seeped into the abandoned and destroyed factory as her three piercing eyes bore into them all with an unnaturally sharp and scrutinizing gaze.

"Who are you?" Steven asked instantly on edge as the others also felt their guards rise at the unexpected visitor. The elderly, Alterworldly woman's expression did not change in the slightest however.

"Just an old woman passing through," she replied simply sidestepping the question entirely. Femt however spoke up looking both mildly shocked and now fully intrigued by the stranger's presence.

"Just an old woman, eh? I find that hard to believe," Femt said with an odd mixture of skepticism, amusement, and perhaps the slightest twinge of awe. "I recognize your appearance anywhere from the stories I've heard as well as from those robes and that third eye of yours. You're an _exceptionally_ powerful sorceress; one whose name is largely unknown but has still been credited for several miraculous wonders and devastating acts of destruction in both the human world and even the Alterworld spanning as far back as over the course of the past several centuries, if not millennia." To say that Libra was shocked by this revelation was an understatement though the Alterworldly woman only frowned at the King of Depravity in response.

"You should really mind your own damn business, you know that," she huffed narrowing her eyes dangerously at the manic madman.

"Oh come now, it's only natural I'd know about you and your work. After all, I myself have tried to seek you out many times for your services but you always seemed to elude me. I have a healthy respect for those said to have such a grand skill set; the possibilities such abilities are endless," Femt admitted with a wide, toothy smile and excitable tone that seemed to try and appeal to her. Although it was clear to everyone that such excitability was not with positive intentions and as a result turned out to have the opposite affect on the old woman.

"I know full well who you are and I want nothing to do with you and your faction of damned hooligans! Honestly, it's beings like you who only want to use my power for their own gain that makes me despise what both realms have become," she curtly snapped with a harsh glare, which Femt sheepishly chuckled and waved off like it was all just a big joke. Now understanding whom the old woman was and feeling the returning sparks of hope, Klaus gazed towards the woman with newfound hope.

"Madam," Klaus inquired in a tone that held both respect and pleading causing her to redirect her stony gaze towards him. "If what the King of Depravity says is true about your abilities, then could you perhaps help our comrade? He is suffering greatly and his life is in jeopardy; if something is not done soon he will most undoubtedly die. I understand that it is a lot to ask of you and you have very little, if any, reason to trust us, but if there is a cost that we must pay to guarantee his well being then we will gladly pay it. I implore you, please help him."

Despite his plea, the elderly woman did and said nothing right away except stare critically at Klaus who met her three-eyed gaze with unwavering resolve. Steven, Zapp, Zed, Chain, K.K., Lucky, Patrick, Neyka, Gilbert and Sonic silently observed the interaction expectantly though after a few silent and tense moments it looked as if she was likely going to refuse. Eventually though, she did finally move her stare from Klaus' emerald eyes to the tormented Leo that squirmed in Klaus' arms and for the briefest of seconds, her expression softened ever so slightly in pity. However as soon as it happened the sympathetic expression was gone, hardening once more into that of seriousness before she wordlessly approached and knelt down by Leo's side after setting down her cane. Ignoring his cries and squirming, she placed one hand on his head and another on his chest in an effort to keep him as still as possible as he squirmed, completely uncaring of the blood that lightly coated her palms. Her main two eyes stared intently at Leo's face while the third in the middle of her forehead scanned him nearly head to toe as if to get an accurate assessment on something only she could see before she finally spoke.

"The contract between the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur and the fool that invoked the curse's power was left incomplete," she informed them. "When a magically bound contract is formed by the enacting party with the forces that make up a curse as powerful as this one and are then left unfulfilled, those forces will act on their own authority to try and claim its end of the bargain from the agreed upon contract as a last-ditch effort to maintain it's existence until it can be reinstated."

"Like some kind of fail-safe measure," Lucky chirped up in understanding. "But with that bastard Blood Breed gone that's no longer an option anymore so—"

"It'll act on it's own to inflict the most amount of pain that it can until…" Chain concluded before grimly trailing off unable to finish as she glanced down at the offending curse runes.

"But what could the Maledictum gain out of all this?" Steven inquired looking to the Alterworldly sorceress for clarification.

"Unfortunately that is something only the enacting party would know. But with him gone to regulate the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur, it will continue to act on the only objective it knows, which if not dealt with shortly, will end up killing this boy in order to claim it's payment."

"But that makes no fucking sense!" Zapp snapped aggressively. "Killing him isn't gonna give it whatever it wants. If this curse is so self-aware shouldn't it freakin' _know_ that instead of going all Kamikaze? What kind of shit are you trying to pull on us, huh?" With surprising speed they didn't think she was capable of for an old woman, she managed to reach up with her cane and whack Zapp hard upside the head for his display of rude manners. He instantly yelped and winced while nursing his already sore cranium as he cast the old woman a dirty scowl while gritting his teeth.

"Just because it's self-aware doesn't mean it's necessarily intelligent," she retorted hotly now using her cane for support. "And instead of worrying about minor details, shouldn't you focus more on the bigger matter right now?" As if to emphasize her statement, Leo gave an especially violent jerk as his straining scream was cut off by a small spurt of blood that flew from his mouth causing everyone to refocus on him again. In addition the runes on his body, starting from his feet and slowly moving upwards along the exposed parts of his legs that were seen through his torn and dirty clothing, were starting to change from dark crimson to pitch black. His formerly luminescent blue All-Seeing Eyes that were partially hidden behind half-lidded eyes began to dangerously dim and flicker like a dull light bulb and his struggles and cries grew noticeably weaker causing alarm and panic to retake its hold on them all. Klaus' lips pressed into a thin line glancing down at the young man in his arms before he returned his gaze back to the old woman.

"What can be done to stop this?" He asked voice as tight as a bowstring. She was silent for a split second seemingly thinking over their options.

"The Maledictum et Cruciabuntur gains its power over its victim through the curse runes, which act as a sort of branding, binding his soul to the curse itself as it carries out its directive while leeching their life force to continue its progression. The only chance he would have for survival is to cleave the curse's runes from his soul. Theoretically, this should not only expunge it from his being and preserve his remaining life force but also nullify the contract that was created. I can do this…however, in doing so there is a slim chance that he will walk away from this unscathed and with the poor state he is already in, there is an even less likely chance of survival. If I'd have to give an estimate, I'd say about a three percent chance and that's only _if_ he's able to fight with everything he has left in him." The gathered Libra members exchanged quick and unanimous glances with each other before Klaus took the liberty to speak for them all.

"Three percent is better than zero. And if nothing is done Leonardo will perish for sure. Please, do whatever you must to secure whatever chance he might have." The elderly sorceress was motionless for a split second before she closed her eyes, almost as if relenting, before she thrust the tip of her wooden cane into the concrete below. Almost instantly an ethereal green light extended out, rapidly intersecting and weaving to create an enchantment circle of sorts about ten feet in diameter with one ring surrounding the dead center followed by another slightly larger ring about five feet out from that. Both rings and the enchantment circle itself were decorated and labeled with various, glowing intricate Alterworldly symbols not too dissimilar from that of the curse or what was scrawled on the Order's blessed bandages. The enchantment circle also cast a gentle green glow as the pressure and wind generated from the magical seal that blew their hair and clothes felt oddly comforting to the weary group.

"Lay him in the center," the Alterworldly woman instructed as she took a few steps back and motioned to the strangely person shaped outline residing where she just stood. Klaus did so, gingerly laying Leo flat on his back mirroring the outline before the elderly sorceress approached and again eased herself down by Leo's side. "While I cast the cleaving spell, I'm going to need you to hold him down and keep him still so he doesn't interfere with me or hurt himself," she said casting a stern look to Klaus who nodded in understanding.

"What can the rest of us do?" Steven asked.

"Some of you will need to stand around the center and help hold him still just in case. It's not going to be a pleasant experience for the boy and with as injured as all of you seem to be it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands. As for the rest of you, stand in the outer ring and join hands to create a link to assist the natural flow of energy. I also suggest you all try to talk to him to help keep him conscious and mentally grounded. The more people he might be able to hear during this process, the better." With understanding nods, the rest of Libra moved into their self-designated positions. Zapp and Steven stood on either side of Klaus on the inner ring surrounding Leo with the Alterworldly sorceress taking the spot on Leo's right, Klaus on his left, Steven by his head and Zapp by his feet. In the outer ring Zed stood behind Zapp, K.K. stood behind Steven, Hummer and Deldro stood behind Klaus and Lucky stood behind the Beyondian woman while Chain stood between Lucky and Zed, Patrick stood between Zed and Hummer/Deldro, Neyka stood between Hummer/Deldro and K.K., and finally Gilbert stood between K.K. and Lucky. Sonic also bounded into the circle to perch himself back on Klaus' shoulder to be as close as possible to observe without interfering. The old woman did not seem to mind this but her attention then turned to the remaining two figures that had started to turn and walk away.

"And what of you two?" She questioned sharply. Femt and Aligula stopped and turned to look back with clearly disinterested expressions. "Will you be helping as well?"

"Sorry but no," Femt apathetically refused before directing his attention to Klaus who was glaring at Femt clearly unhappy about the response. "Oh don't give me that look; I told you all before, our alliance was only necessary until we got rid of Pain. And now that he _is_ gone, I have no further obligation to get involved with anything else. So this life-or-death struggle you all are so emotionally invested in is none of my concern." With that he turned to continue his exit followed wordlessly by Aligula while giving them all a backhanded waggle of fingers. "I look forward to our next nonsensical encounter, provided the All-Seeing Eyes brat doesn't croak," he maniacally quipped as the two disappeared from sight. His parting comment and attitude greatly irritated the Libra crew as they half-contemplated going after them but realized there were more important matters.

"We'll deal with them later after we take care of the kid's curse," Steven said, voicing what everyone else had already decided. The elderly sorceress let out a small sigh before sternly looking to the remaining party with a strict tone that demanded their full and undivided attention.

"Listen, once I begin the spell, you all _cannot_ move from your designated spots until it is concluded, for better or worse and no matter what might happen during, otherwise the consequences will be terrible for both him and all of you. Is that understood?" Wordlessly they all nodded in unison understanding their roles fully. "Ideally it would help further if there were something we could use to ease the worst of his suffering in some way but we'll just have to hope for the best as things are." Instantly Lucky perked up as he again took out the roll of blessed bandages from his coat's pocket.

"We can use this." Lucky informed as he approached and held out the roll of blessed bandages for the Alterworldly enchantress to see. Her three eyes studied them closely, her third eye in particular going a bit wider than the other two, before she gave a look of almost impressed approval.

"I'm surprised you were able to get your hands on such a high-ranking charm. It should do just fine so apply it quickly." Lucky did so as again Klaus propped up and held still Leo's head, both men taking unsettling note at how unnaturally warm Leo's face was from his overheating and smoking eyes. The second the bandages were tied off, the bandages gained a familiar sheen of light before it rapidly dulled and the blue lettering began to rapidly turn a dull grey while becoming lightly stained with blood as the dark plume of smoke thinned ever so slightly. "This won't last long so let us begin immediately," she informed.

Lucky quickly retook his place in the outer ring before promptly joining hands with Gilbert and Chain beside him who, along with everyone else, took their respective partner's hand and Klaus, Steven, Zapp, and the elderly sorceress knelt down in their respective places by Leo. Once more the Alterworldly woman placed one hand on Leo's chest and the other on his bandage-covered forehead also nearly eclipsing his steaming eyes. Klaus, Steven and Zapp in turn each took a firm grip on or against whatever part of Leo they could that would not harm him further (Steven by his shoulders placing his right hand a few inches away from his dislocated left shoulder, Klaus with his right arm draped firmly over Leo's torso to grasp and pin his uninjured right arm at his side while minding his dislocated left arm while placing his left gingerly on his chest beside the old woman's, and Zapp by his ankles whilst simultaneously using his blood threads to wrap around and harden acting as a makeshift splint for his broken right leg and even Sonic who placed both paws on Leo's dislocated left arm in a feeble attempt to help) before nodding to signal they were at the ready. She closed her three eyes and began to channel her power. Illuminated by a glow of energy she began to chant in a strong but gentle tone in an indiscernible Alterworldly tongue. Almost immediately, Leo began to thrash and buck harder against their holds but the trio (plus Sonic) instantly held strong as more screams spilled from his raw and abused vocal chords, causing more droplets of blood to trickle from the corners of his mouth.

"Leo you gotta pull through this man," Hummer started off as Deldro stayed silent and hummed not sure what else to contribute. Leo however only continued to thrash and scream as the blackness of the curse runes slowly traveled up his thighs and to his waist.

"Come on Leo, where's that stubborn side of yours? I know you got more fight in you than that," K.K. chided lightly. Leo grit his teeth in response but still writhed in agony as more blood trailed from his spluttering lips though this did not impede the blackness as it creeped further upward across his belly and towards his chest.

"Leo, everyone is here to help you through this. You have to keep fighting," Zed contributed feeling emboldened by the progress. Unfortunately this was short lived as instead of letting out a scream, Leo began to cough up a small geyser of blood.

"Shit, turn his head so he doesn't choke!" Zapp instructed glancing up to Steven in mild panic. The scar-faced man complied as efficiently as he could by using his knee to pin his uninjured shoulder and keep his back flat on the ground while also freeing up his hand to turn Leo's thrashing head to the side whilst trying not to wrench his neck too badly or dislodge the sorceress's hand as she worked while assisting in keeping his head pinned. By now they could all clearly see the blackness seeping into the runes as it was continuing its steady ascent up Leo's neck.

"Don't give up on us now kid," Steven even found himself saying aloud. Leo's struggles were dying down though they were not sure this was a good thing as the remaining crimson curse runes on Leo's face were slowly succumbing to the blackness in a trail that lead towards his bandage-wrapped eyes. Meanwhile, the light that encompassed the Alterworldly sorceress began to radiate a bit brighter as her chanting seemed to reach a crescendo of intensity.

"Leonardo," Klaus began gazing down at the young man. "I _know_ you can overcome this… _because you are strong_!"

Finally the light and chanting reached its peak in a brilliant flash of light and energy causing Leo to let out one final gargled scream while arching his back with such force that it seemed like it would snap in half. Slowly the vaguely perceptible sound of shattering glass could be heard as the curse runes that enveloped his body fragmented and faded away from his skin until his skin was free of any supernatural markings or blemishes before his body gradually relaxed and went completely limp. The enchantment circle around them also slowly disintegrated having served its purpose as the others stood still in anticipation or caught their breath from fighting against the struggling lad as the elderly woman slowly removed her hands.

"It is done," she informed them causing everyone who was in the outer circle to run over to see for themselves and check on their likely exhausted teammates.

"Did it succeed?" Zed cautiously asked looking to the old woman who appeared a bit fatigued and used her cane to slowly rise to her feet.

"…It did," she began. "However he is likely very near death right now due to the immense toll on his body with everything else he was forced to endure."

"She's right Klaus," Steven informed grimly catching both the large man as well as everyone else's attention as he removed his fingers he had placed against Leo's jugular to check for a pulse. "His vitals and pulse are so low they are practically non-existent and he's deathly pale with all the blood he's lost. There may also be internal damage aside from his more obvious physical injuries." Expression contorting from panic for Leo's lingering life before hardening with determination to preserve it, Klaus shifted his gaze to his faithful combat butler.

"Gilbert, I need you to take Leonardo to the nearest hospital for medical treatment _immediately_ ," he instructed.

"Rest assured Young Sir, I will get him there posthaste. This I promise you with _absolute certainty_ ," he obediently replied as a dangerous and purposeful gleam entered his eyes upon uttering the last phrase before he turned to start the car. Klaus then turned his attention to Steven and Zapp.

"You two accompany them as well to ensure Leo's welfare on the drive there."

"I'll go with them as well to help," Chain declared stepping forward as Zapp and Steven wordlessly complied, gently easing Leo up and slinging his good arm over Zapp's shoulder as he supported him.

"Gonna be kind of a tight squeeze She-Bitch," Zapp informed without any real heat to his words for once as she helped to support Leo's weight on his other side while being mindful of his left arm and shoulder.

"I'll dilute myself to make it work," she replied simply as they helped carry him swiftly in tandem to the waiting Nautilus followed by the limping Steven and Sonic who leapt in after them wanting to stick close to Leo's side as they carefully loaded him into the backseat. Klaus then turned his attention back to the rest of the team.

"As for the rest of you, follow them to the hospital in Patrick's jeep to get your injuries checked out as well."

"Hold on, what about you Klaus?" K.K. interjected. "If we're talking about injuries, you're way more banged up than the rest of us. What are you going to do?" Klaus returned her questioning and mildly concerned gaze with a reassuring one.

"Rest assured, I will meet you all there on my own accord once I take care of some last minute things here. But right now Leonardo's, as well as the rest of your safety and wellbeing is what is most important. I promise I'll join you when I can." Still clearly concerned but trusting in their leader's decision, K.K. and the rest of the team nodded in understanding and complied as they turned to head and pile in Patrick's jeep, which mercifully started up without issue. As soon as both vehicles were mobile they burned rubber out of the factory, tires squealing and speeding out of the factory with Gilbert's Nautilus easily leaving them all in the dust as it quickly disappeared up the winding road leading into the dense fog with record-breaking speed. After watching them go, the wounded and mildly exhausted Klaus then turned his attention back to their elderly savior who had also turned in preparation to leave.

"Madam," Klaus called out prompting her to stop and glance back with a moderately disinterested expression. "Thank you for lending us your aid, truly," the large man said with a slight bow. For a moment the old Beyondian woman said nothing as she stared at him almost as if to scrutinize some hidden intention on Klaus' part.

"I was merely acting on a whim," she replied distantly. Klaus however was unfazed by the off-putting response.

"Even so, were it not for your actions I fear what fate Leonardo would have likely suffered." Klaus' expression turned gravely somber at that thought before changing into grim resolution as he straightened up. "And, as for the payment of your services, I expect it would be quite high for such an act. So I am willing to surrender whatever you might deem necessary to complete the exchange." Reading between the lines of Klaus' rather earnest implication, the Alterworldly enchantress' formerly disinterested expression changed into one of mild intrigue as she turned fully to stare down the gravely serious man who stood before her. Then her expression shifted again to that of vague amusement.

"Oh please," she almost chuckled dryly. "All my magic did was lift the Maledictum to give a boy a _chance_ to recover. It doesn't guarantee his life so there is no reason to offer yours in turn even if I _did_ want such a thing. You Huma really are always so dramatic," she said, her amusement fading slightly. "While there is a price you will have to pay, likely for the rest of your life, it is not mine to claim." She paused for a moment to study the Brain Grid user's face closely before she asked him a strange question. "What exactly is he to you?" Unsure of what she meant, Klaus furrowed his brows and tilted his head slightly in clear inquiry and the old woman quickly elaborated. "A normal young man such as him is a rarity these days in the world we live in, Godly eyes or no. I imagine after this experience that only goes without saying as to the lengths some beings are willing to go to in order to attain or snuff out such a unique individual for one reason or another. So let me ask again, what is he to you?" Now with a better understanding of her question and subsequent explanation, Klaus was silent in contemplation for a brief moment before replying with no hesitation or shred of uncertainty.

"A dear friend whose light is worth protecting," he replied simply but in such a resolute tone and firm body language that easily reflected the strong conviction of his words. For the third time over the past few days, the elderly sorceress found herself well and truly shocked by such an unwavering and sincere display and for the second time in her long life, she felt a genuinely pleased smile grace her lips.

"In that case you better hurry up and go to him and the rest of your companions in order to safeguard that light of his before it can be extinguished." Perturbed by such a thought, Klaus nodded in both gratefulness and understanding before promptly turning on his heels to quickly walk out of the ruined compound. However after taking a few steps he suddenly slowed before stopping in his tracks in clear apprehension as something else occurred to him.

"Pardon me, but what exactly were you referring to with the phrase 'Godly eyes?' If I recall there had been no mention of…" Klaus turned his head back to look at the Alterworldly woman but trailed off upon noticing hat she was now no where to be seen.

Confused and shocked as to how she could disappear so quickly, he scanned the surrounding damaged area but found no trace of her. Mild uneasiness entered him but quickly realized that there were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment and decided to let the matter be for the time being. Turning back, Klaus swiftly made his way out of the gaping hole in the wall of the structure initially created by Gilbert's combat car and exited the dilapidated factory, quickly spotting the winding road leading over the gorge. Heavily injured and feeling fatigue start to set in, Klaus took a steadying breath, resigning himself for the long trek ahead of him, and pulled out his phone to try and gain some light to lead the way back towards apparent civilization. As he started his way along the old but sturdy pavement road suspended above the fog-covered abyss, he was largely unaware of the presence of the elderly, Alterworldly woman who silently observed him from the old, damaged roof near one of the crumbling smokestacks. She was silent until the subtle sounds of creaking wood underfoot caught her attention though her three eyes still remained rooted to Klaus' retreating back.

"You know I was a bit surprised to see that the so-called King of Depravity and his underlings actually proved to be a decent ally to the very people protecting humanity who you claim to so despise," she said casually. Femt scoffed in a dismissive fashion as Aligula stuck out her tongue and childishly blew a raspberry in response.

"Like you're one to talk. I only did what I had to in order to rid myself of the bigger, more annoying thorn in my side as well as liven up the otherwise boring game he had set into motion," Femt rebutted crossed his arms over his chest. "Though I suppose I can't quite say the same of you. After all, your stance on humanity is often more harsh than my own, so much so that while you have the ability to travel anywhere between the two realms, you supposedly haven't visited the Human world in centuries. Yet for some reason here you are, revealing yourself to the ignorant masses and even going so far as to use your power for the sake of some brat. And considering you _only_ get involved whenever something significant is sure to occur, I find it hard to believe this is all some big coincidence." The old woman cast the King of Depravity a look of silent scrutiny before averting her three-eyed gaze.

"I'm simply getting a close-hand look at Riga's handiwork, as well as the holder he has chosen to bear their burden. Though I must admit, he is…different than the others." Femt huffed and approached to stand by her side to look out over the white, fog-covered landscape.

"Honestly, eyes or no, what _is_ it about that boy that people seem to find so fascinating? First Despair, then Pain and now _you_ ," he listed off before glancing back to the old Beyondian. "Pascia Okieelv, that's the name you go by now right? What changed to make you feel as if it was necessary to get involved in the affairs of mortals I wonder?" She neither confirmed nor denied his accusation but instead turned her attention back to Klaus' form that was now starting to get swallowed up by the fog and she spoke in a grave but profoundly knowing tone.

"There is a saying in the Huma realm that fortune favors the bold and while that might often be true…sometimes destiny can choose the meek." Her gaze then softened ever so slightly in pity. "However this is not always a good thing. After all, Fate can be quite unkind, especially to the more decent ones." Femt did not respond to this as the Alterworldly woman, Pascia Okieelv, was now clearly no longer interested in further conversation with the self-proclaimed king. "I've done all I could to ensure the most positive outcome for this instance, but what happens from here on out is up to them. I just hope that they all are strong enough to withstand whatever may come next," she mused silently before her third eye glanced up as it took note of something that passed overhead: a luminescent, white butterfly that flitted by apparently following in the direction both Leo and Klaus seemed to have gone as it entered and quickly disappeared into the gradually thickening fog leaving behind a small trail of shimmering flakes of light.  
_

Gilbert's Nautilus practically roared out of the Alterworldly tunnel's exit, headlights piercing through the light fog and darkness of the late night, before zooming down the busy city roads while streaking and expertly weaving past one string of vehicles after another. Once back in decent cell phone range, Steven got out his phone to shoot a couple quick messages to Dr. Estevez to have the emergency medical team on standby as well as send a corresponding text to Lucky and Klaus so they would know where to rendezvous.

"How long until we reach Bradbury General Hospital Gilbert?" Steven asked glancing up from his phone screen after receiving a confirmation response from Dr. Estevez. The backseat they occupied was nearly filled to capacity with himself in the seat on the left and Zapp in the seat on the far right as Leo was laid out over them as much as possible with his head resting on Zapp's leg and a semi-diluted Chain sat in the middle to assist in treating Leo's injuries as much as she could while not physically taking up enough space to further crowd the already cramped space and Sonic perched on the back of the seat between Zapp and Chain.

"Approximately eight minutes," the combat butler replied. Sonic, who had been watching Leo closely took quick notice of something that changed and he gently hopped down onto Zapp's knee close to Leo's face before chattering to get the other's attention. Chain placed a transparent hand against Leo's neck and blanched.

"I don't think he has eight minutes," Chain noted aloud noting Leo's quickly fading pulse.

"Then we should go off road," Zapp suggested pointing to a closed off-ramp in the oncoming lane that was rapidly approaching. Not seeing much other options and taking note of the desperate situation, Gilbert complied.

"Please hold on tightly," he cautioned before shifting gears and quickly cranking his wheel to the left. The others braced themselves and clutched Leo's body to keep him still as the front of the Nautilus exploded through the concrete median and narrowly weaved through traffic and crashing through the wooden barricade and orange traffic cones as the construction workers on sight scrambled to get out of the way. Now on an open and unimpeded stretch of road, Gilbert floored the gas pedal and activated the car's engine boosters and plowing over a few more traffic cones and smashing through other obstacles as the Nautilus' GPS recalculated their route. "Our new estimated time of arrival should be less than three minutes," Gilbert informed.

"Great," Steven replied. Roughly a minute or so later, the road they were on ended and Gilbert was forced back onto main roads by sharply turning into and through a wide alley before then cutting through a few more lanes of traffic and again weaving at high speeds through the throngs of cars and narrowly missing a few large semi trucks as he took a few more sharp turns. Finally the looming visage of the hospital appeared in the distance and Gilbert once more advised them all to hold tightly as he slammed on the breaks and slid the car sideways allowing it to make a few 360-degree spins before safely and smoothly sliding to a halt right before the hospital entrance. There the adult form of Dr. Estevez accompanied by the emergency response team in medical suits was indeed on standby with a waiting stretcher. The moment the car doors opened and Zapp stepped out gently hauling out Leo's blood-covered, injured and unresponsive body assisted again by Chain, Dr. Estevez and the medical team immediately took over. Wordlessly they quickly took Leo from the wounded white-haired male and gently lifted him onto the stretcher mindful of his injuries as the self-dividing doctor visually and physically assessed him with a grave frown.

"Get him to the trauma unit stat! I'll be there shortly," she instructed and the orderlies complied and quickly rolled him inside. Dr. Estevez then turned to the small Libra group and took note of their various injuries as well. "His injuries are worse than what you mentioned in your text; he's most likely going to require surgery," she said glancing to the hobbling Steven. "I take it the rest of you are going to be in need of medical attention as well once they arrive?"

"Not quite as severely as him with maybe the exception of Klaus but yeah," Steven answered truthfully. She nodded in understanding.

"I'll have a few doctors and nurses on standby to treat you once you enter," she informed before quickly rushing back inside. Taking out his cell phone once more, Steven shot a quick group message to the rest of the Libra members not present to inform them of the situation. Roughly fifteen minutes later, Patrick's jeep pulled up and Zed, K.K., Hummer and Deldro, Lucky, Neyka and Patrick climbed out to approach the four Libra (plus one Sonic Speed Monkey) party.

"Any word from Klaus?" Lucky asked looking to Steven who only shook his head in response.

"I've tried calling him after he received the initial group text but no luck. His phone's battery could have died at some point," Steven said with a tone of faint unease. This also mildly unsettled the others and they began to contemplate one of them going back to find their leader, fearing his injuries caught up with him or he met some unwelcome obstacle, until their attention was directed to an Alterworldly taxi that quickly screeched to a halt stopping just short of driving up onto the sidewalk. To their relief, the back door opened and Klaus' large frame emerged from the vehicle practically radiating a visible aura of tension and his already beastly-looking face was contorted into a set scowl clearly trying to contain his agitation. His injured and bloody appearance did not help matters as he now appeared quite frightening but this did not stop him from going to the passenger side door and leaning down to peer through the cracked window to speak to the clearly shaken and terrified looking driver.

"Thank you for the ride sir," he politely said though the visual of the bloody and menacing sight of the large, fanged man was much more overwhelming to the poor driver whose multiple eyes were opened wide and his slime-covered body visibly quivered in fear. "How much do I owe you?"

"D-d-don't worry about it, it's on the house!" The Beyondian responded with a warbled stutter as he fumbled for the gearshift and quickly reversed backwards before putting it back in drive, squealing his tires to as he did to get away from the intimidating man as fast as possible. Klaus could only blink in confusion, completely unaware of his subconscious actions, before then turning his attention back to the rest of his team who met him halfway.

"Has there been any further update on Leonardo's condition?" Klaus questioned visibly concerned. Steven again shook his head in response deciding not to comment on the short amount of time it had been.

"No but don't worry, he's in good hands now," Steven tried to assure as he placed a hand to Klaus' broad shoulder. "But right now I think you need to see a doctor to get your injuries taken care of, as do the rest of us." Deflating slightly, Klaus could only nod in agreement before the reunited team turned to make their collective way towards the front doors of the hospital.  
_

Time passed excruciatingly slowly until before they knew it, roughly five hours had gone by and dawn was only less than another hour away. As promised by Dr. Estevez, the moment the Libra gang had passed the threshold into the lobby they were swarmed by doctors and nurses who promptly whisked away Klaus, Steven, Zapp, Zed, K.K. and Hummer and Deldro into separate rooms for treatment, as their injuries were the most severe, while the remaining operatives were looked over and treated in the waiting area for their minor wounds and scrapes. After countless bandages, a couple stitches and even some curses caused by the stinging antiseptic, they were now all reconvened back in the main waiting room spread out amongst the cushioned waiting chairs.

Hummer had thick bandages tied around his midsection, the newly sutured wound throbbing dully against his wrappings, and the mild anesthetic was visibly affecting Deldro whose his bloody head drooped every now and then as Hummer tried to sit comfortably in his seat. Zed had bandages wrapping his right arm as well as some dressings around his other wounds while Zapp was very much the same though his left palm needed some minor suturing and proper bandages from the deep cutting left behind by the glass shard he clutched but both were either leaning forward or slumped back in their seats. K.K. had some minor bruising to her ribs as well as several deep and nasty lacerations while Steven was in slightly worse shape as aside from his own deep lacerations and minor blood loss he also had to contend with the gash to his side as well as damage to his leg that was entirely wrapped from knee to ankle and was given a crutch to assist his mobility for a day or so. Both of them leaned against the wall closest to the water cooler to try and stretch their legs to ease their tension (though it was strongly advised against in Steven's case). Klaus however was the worst off as the injuries he received from Pain were much more extensive. His entire body suffered heavy bruising along with several deep wounds and lacerations nearly everywhere but particularly to his head, chest, back and reinjured side, which required stitches, so he was bandaged quite more noticeably than the others. He had also been given a blood transfusion or two due to the decent amount of blood that was lost both from his injuries as well as the multiple strenuous techniques he had been forced to use over such a short amount of time. The doctor had advised strict bed rest for the large man but Klaus had persistently declined in lieu of awaiting word on Leo's state. He now sat in the small hospital seat with the closest view to the double doors leading to the emergency ward, clutching his hands tightly in his lap trying to keep his steadily increasing anxiety in check as he glanced over every so often. Everyone else was honestly no better as they found themselves doing the same thing every now and then while fighting the growing fatigue that had begun to set in. Despite their injuries and overall exhaustion from the day's events, no one wanted to leave until they heard the news on Leo's condition for themselves.

Finally, just as some of them were about to nod off in their seats, they got their wish as one of Dr. Estevez's younger copies emerged from the double doors. Swiftly getting to his feet, Klaus was the first one over followed briefly by the others who slowly trudged over. He gave Dr. Estevez a silent look of pleading inquiry, unable to find his voice at that moment. Her expression was professionally stoic but visibly troubled as she let out a small sigh and informed them of the news.

"Leonardo exited surgery about ten minutes ago and is in stable but still very critical condition. I won't sugarcoat it; you all were _very_ lucky you got him to us when you did. He was on the verge of total organ failure and if it had been even a minute or two later we would be facing a much more bleak outcome." Slowly the others felt a small bit of tension ebb away though not as much as they would have liked.

"But Leo's going to be okay after he rests, right?" Hummer asked feeling pleasantly hopeful. However the stern look on Dr. Estevez's face told them all that there was something more that they were not aware of. Sure enough this proved to be true as the self-divided doctor spoke again.

"As I said before, Leonardo may be stabilized currently but his condition is still considered unfavorable. The full extent of his injuries was quite severe and while I successfully managed to heal what I could of his physical injuries, I had to use almost every clone I could spare just to keep him stable as he underwent surgery to repair the considerable, internal damage he sustained."

"Internal damage?" Steven repeated warily having been afraid that very suspicion. Dr. Estevez nodded once and held out a small clipboard none of them had initially noticed she had been holding.

"Aside from the multiple abrasions and lacerations he endured that required stitches as well as his other, less severe, physical injuries and wounds, there was other unexpected damage that we uncovered in his treatment. Firstly he had four broken ribs, one of which was dangerously close to puncturing and collapsing his right lung had it undergone any more force, which explains the unsettling rattle in his chest cavity you all had mentioned you observed prior in Mr. Starphase's message. While his leg itself had one clear break in both the tibia and fibula that we were able pin and set in place, there were small but noticeable hairline fractures in at least two or three other places at very odd angles that we could not realistically operate on at the time and might require further surgery to correct if they do not heal properly on their own. Though thankfully we expect him to regain the full use of his shoulder with little to no chance of complications once the tendons and ligaments heal. The heavy contusions he suffered to his body, particularly around his neck and to his chest, back, and abdomen, was so forceful that it even bruised some of his internal organs, not severely but enough to where he is going to be in discomfort for a good while. In addition, most likely as a result of the strain the curse had inflicted on him, he also suffered from considerably dangerous blood loss, not so much from his external injuries, but most noticeably from internal hemorrhaging. And then…there's the situation concerning his eyes."

"His eyes?" Klaus repeated numbly, noticeably a bit more pale from Dr. Estevez's elaboration on Leo's diagnosis.

"While it appears the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods themselves have a self-restoration function judging by the way his cracked eyes have already begun to show signs of repair throughout the course of the surgery, I'm more concerned about everything else the eyes are connected to. In other words the skin and tissue in and around his eye sockets, which are blistered and most likely scarred from the intense heat that was generated by his eyes. However it's the damage to his optic nerves that truly concerns me."

"His what?" Zapp asked visibly confused but knowing it wasn't anything good.

"His optic nerves, in other words the bundle of nerves that connects his eyes to his brain. These nerves send impulses from what the eyes perceive which then travels to the brain to be registered and comprehended. When we ran a scan of his eyes prior to the surgery we noticed that the optic nerves were badly inflamed and damaged likely as a result of the intense overheating. My concern is that while the eyes themselves may heal on their own, those restoration capabilities might not extend to Leonardo or his optic nerves, which in turn could leave him with irreparable brain damage as the two are essentially in direct contact." She let out another small sigh as she lifted he glasses to rub her eyes, seemingly struggling a bit with what she wanted to say next. "Furthermore, we won't know the full extent of the damage at this time as due to the extreme physical trauma he endured, I'm afraid Leonardo is comatose at this time." A few sharp intakes of breath followed this revelation and Klaus felt what little color he had drain from his face. For a moment he was unable to speak as countless questions circulated in his head but somehow managed to convey his biggest desire in that moment.

"May we see him?" Klaus asked somehow sounding more composed than he should. Dr. Estevez looked like she wanted to refuse however upon catching the pleading look on the normally unflinching man's face, her gaze softened and she let out another light sigh.

"If you insist. Follow me," she relented before turning on her heels. The group wordlessly complied and followed her through the double doors and proceeded down the halls leading into the ICU recovery wing. After passing by several large observation windows that were either empty or had the blinds pulled as some medical staff entered or exited, they finally stopped in front of one room where the blinds had not yet been drawn and glanced in.

Sure enough there lay Leo, changed out of his street clothes yet again and placed in a mint green hospital gown and resting in a hospital bed that looked almost too large for his frail and broken body. His unruly, mop top head of brownish hair rested back against a gently propped up pillow where thick, normal bandages replaced the blood-covered blessed bandages he had on previously. His face was still considerably pale blending in amongst the nearly immaculate, white bandages and countless other wrappings that dressed and patched up his skin. Some were lightly stained with the dried blood leftover from surgery though even they did little to conceal the dark, ugly bruises and protruding threads of the stitches that marred his skin and held his injuries and incisions together. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose that provided a healthy flow of oxygen to his lungs as evidenced by the steady though almost barely noticeable condensation of breath that fogged up the mask and painfully slow rise and fall of his chest. He was hooked back up to an EKG machine that beeped far slower and steadier than last time along with several other life-support machines that monitored his vitals and breathing. An IV drip with a few bags of medication and other fluids dripped down the tubes that fed into the veins of his exposed right arm as his left was draped over his stomach in a sling and the distinct outline of a cast that was noticeable even under the blankets. Seeing this sight was almost more than Klaus and the other Libra members' overloaded and fatigued minds could process at the moment as they took in the pitiful visual with growing apprehension. Klaus in particular fought to swallow down the small lump in his throat as he took a steadying breath to ask his next question.

"What are his chances of regaining consciousness?" Klaus asked in an unnaturally subdued and quiet tone as he looked to the shrunken doctor. She hummed in thought before responding with a gentle and levelheaded calm.

"Unfortunately even with all the advancements made in medicine here in Hellsalem's Lot, comas are still very complex and tricky things to deal with and effective treatment is largely still a mystery." Immediately this caused the group to visibly deflate in dismay until she promptly continued. "However, in Leonardo's case, it appears as if his body entered into this state of it's own accord most likely as his brain's last-ditch effort to cope with the trauma by shutting down in order to assist in his body's overall recovery, which honestly is the best case scenario in this circumstance." Hearing the subtle tone of optimism in her voice, the group again perked up in interest as she elaborated further. "It's not guaranteed but typically self-induced comas can last anywhere between a few days to a few weeks theoretically depending on the severity of the trauma. Any longer past that period however could greatly lessen the chances of him coming out of his vegetative state. But if his condition improves over the course of the next few days with the treatment we can give him now, there's a good chance it might not come to that but don't hold me to that," she said giving them the most reassuring glance she could before she again continued.

"Although even with the decent chance of him being able to regain consciousness, there is not only the state of his overworked eyes to be concerned about but also his mental state. It's possible he may end up with minor or major disability such as speech impediments, trouble coordinating the body, or even mental impairments that he may either overcome or could persist. Not to mention with everything that Blood Breed and his curse put him through, he might also suffer from possible psychological trauma such as memory loss or PTSD. Keep in mind this is all speculation and hearsay and unfortunately until he regains consciousness, we simply won't know for sure. But rest assured we will watch over and care for him _intently_ as he recovers and provide him with the best treatment we can." Klaus and the rest of Libra processed this information with grave understanding. Recollecting his scattered thoughts into a more calm and organized manner, Klaus gave the attending doctor a weak nod.

"Thank you Miss Estevez. We're immensely grateful for that and everything else you've done." She returned his words with a nod of her own and the most reassuring smile she could muster.

"I'll give you all some time alone to discuss things. Just call me or one of the other doctors if you need anything or if something comes up." With that she walked away to tend to her other patients. For a few minutes, the Libra group could only stare at their youngest teammate through the glass, lost in their own thoughts as Sonic hopped up on the narrow windowsill and whimpered forlornly while placing his paws against the glass separating them and Leo. Finally Lucky decided to break the ice and let out a small sigh through his nose.

"Well, it's fortunate that Leo is alive at least. And that he has a good chance at recovery," the older man said with as light a tone as he could. However K.K. and Zapp only cast him pointed glares and glowered.

"Fortunate?" K.K. repeated clearly displeased. "How the hell is being in _that_ kind of state fortunate exactly?" She couldn't help but snap as her voice rose slightly with a biting edge gesturing to Leo's unresponsive form through the glass with her pointed finger.

"K.K. please, I know you're upset but try and calm down and keep your voice down," Steven tried to calmly reason. She turned to him with a hard scowl, only feeling even more riled up at being told to calm down by the scar-faced man, but begrudgingly relented with a growl, which Steven ignored before continuing. "Honestly, considering the extremely unfavorable odds we were up against, it's nothing short of a miracle all of us made it out alive and in one piece."

"True, things could have gone a lot worse than it did I suppose," Chain relented trying hard not to let her gaze linger on Leo too long.

"And that King of Pain bastard finally got what was coming to him too, which is good 'cause that guy seriously pissed me off with his superiority bullshit!" Deldro declared in obvious displeasure.

"I'll say, way to go Klaus," Hummer seconded with a small grin looking to the red-haired man who did not move his gaze from Leo's resting body or reply to Hummer's statement. Zapp however snorted clearly not sharing in their sentiments.

"That fucker deserved way worse than just getting his ass sealed," Zapp grumbled with tangible hostility that was also clearly shared by Zed who solemnly nodded in agreement. However, a split second after his words had the chance to sink in, the others then realized the extent of Zapp's words and paused blinking in both shock and confusion.

"Wait a second, how exactly _did_ you pull that one of Klaus?" Lucky asked looking to their leader. Klaus was silent as he silently observed Leo for another moment longer before he finally spoke.

"I'm not the one who deserves the credit for that feat," he simply responded. Wordlessly, he finally averted his gaze from Leo and glanced down to reach into his trouser pocket and pulled out the crumpled scrap of notebook paper he had tucked away before holding it out with the Alterworldly name scrawled on it for them to see. As soon as the other members laid their eyes on the scrawled message, their eyes widened and their expressions went from confusion to incredulous understanding as they collectively turned their gazes back to the unconscious Leo.

"Damn, he really is one hell of a kid ain't he?" Patrick said in an impressed tone.

"He certainly is," Steven admitted almost under his breath with a small and genuinely proud smile as the others also nodded in silent agreement. Another moment of silence passed before finally the exhaustion and stress from the events of the past two days, not to mention from their accumulated and healing injuries, finally started to catch up to them to the point where it was now practically overwhelming. Klaus turned to motion for the door leading into Leo's room, clearly intending to sit inside to wait by the unconscious young man's side, when the large man swayed slightly and faltered mid-step causing him to place one hand on the wall next to the window for support.

"Whoa Klaus!" Lucky exclaimed with startled concern as he swiftly approached his side and placed a hand on his arm to steady him followed by Steven who also approached to check him over.

"I'm all right," Klaus assured them in a calm tone as he removed his hand from the wall and straightened back up trying to play off the rare show of weakness. The others however were not fooled. Fatigue was practically written over every inch of the red-haired man's face and his stance was noticeably a bit unsteady as it was more than clear that his concern for Leo's well being was the only thing keeping him upright and going at that moment.

"Don't give us that bullshit Klausie," K.K. replied in a scolding tone and light frown, her motherly side instantly taking over. "After everything that's happened, it's obvious that you _need_ to get some rest otherwise you're going to keel over." Klaus' expression hardened slightly, unwilling to concede. Though before he could refuse or get a word in edge wise, Gilbert took the liberty to speak up.

"If I may Young Sir, I would be happy to volunteer my services to watch over Master Leonardo in your stead while yourself and everyone else rests and recuperates from the ordeal." Unswayed by the proposition, Klaus' expression did not change as he again tried to take another step towards Leo's door.

"I appreciate the offer Gilbert but that's not…" Klaus trailed off again as a staggering wave of exhaustion washed over him that he had not felt since his fight with the King of Despair, this time causing him to actually loose strength in his legs and nearly slip to the ground. Fortunately he was caught and supported by both Lucky and Steven who gave their leader a pointed look.

"Don't push it Klaus," Steven chastised lightly. Looking a bit sheepish from his vulnerable display, Klaus cast his gaze downwards temporarily and let out a small, relenting sigh knowing he couldn't lie to himself or the others any more before glancing back up to his faithful butler.

"Contact me immediately if there are any changes whatsoever," Klaus instructed in a tone that no longer hid his weariness.

"With absolute certainty Young Sir. I shall not leave Master Leonardo's side even for a moment," he vowed with his usual professionalism that also held an understanding and reassuring tone. Klaus gave a thankful nod and allowed himself to be helped out of the building as Lucky partially supported his weight and Steven hobbled along beside him on his crutch though not before he cast one last worried look to the comatose Leo resting through the window before they moved out of view. Gilbert watched the rest of the weary team make their way down the hall towards the building's exit as he and Sonic stayed behind in front of Leo's hospital room. As their backs were turned, they were entirely unaware of the white, luminescent butterfly that flitted into Leo's hospital room seemingly coming out of nowhere. It fluttered past the various, beeping life support machines before gracefully and gently landing on Leo's bandaged covered forehead just above his eyes and lingering in place for a few moments more before once more flying off and disappearing from view with no one none the wiser that it was even there.  
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Author's Notes: And there we have it: the climax! I apologize if the content of the past few chapters was a bit too overly graphic for some people but I wanted to stay true to the kind of intense scenes the series is known for (though I think I went a little lackluster or OOC in some circumstances particularly during Hummer and Deldro's fight scene and the events leading up to the curse removal scene as well as some of the hospital scenes but hopefully it is still believable). Poor Leo, I feel so bad for putting him in the state he is in but at least the worst is over…possibly. With the climax now concluded there are only two chapters left until the end but due to working anywhere between 9 to 12 hours with my job I have not gotten as far on the next chapter as I would like so it's going to be a while before the next post. Not _nearly_ as long as the last period in posting prior to the climax mind you but maybe a few weeks to a little over a month and a half as I can really only write a few hours at a time on weekends now so it'll be a while. I know I say this a lot but please bear with me; in exchange I might have something extra special planned at the end *hint hint*! Huge thanks to Coolstar422 for favoriting and following this story and an extra special thanks to blueberryblueberry and HDDNeptuneFTW for the review! I look forward to hearing from you all in the meantime and until next time!


	11. Reflection of Shadows and Scars

Chapter 11: Reflection of Shadows and Scars

For the first time since the events of the second Great Collapse, the Libra office remained closed and inactive for nearly an entire day. After leaving Bradbury General Hospital, the entire team wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep off their fatigue and worry and thus Klaus unanimously decided to give everyone an impromptu day off from Libra operations to recover both physically and mentally. No one had any objections to this and silently the group all parted ways to head to their respective residences while Lucky volunteered to accompany Hummer and Deldro back to Pandorum Asylum for the time being. After nearly ten hours of returning home and climbing into bed, the first one to stir from his slumber was Steven, if only due to the vibrating of his charging cell phone. With a low, tired groan, Steven rolled over and cracked his eyes open while fumbling for the device and removing it from the charging stand, taking vague note that it was well past 2:30 in the afternoon according to his bedside clock. Taking his phone in hand he tilted it to look at the caller ID and instantly his eyes shot open, now much more alert. Gilbert was calling him and his former dread started to return as he could only speculate what the elderly butler was contacting him about. Instantly he sat up and answered the call.

"Yes, is everything all right Gilbert?" Steven asked trying to sound as composed as his newly awakened self could be at that moment. He listened intently as Gilbert apologized for disturbing his much needed rest before he relayed his message over the phone. Almost immediately the dread Steven felt melted away and shifted into a calm, if not unsurprised, exasperation; not at the combat butler, but at the actions of a certain individual said butler was currently informing him of. "I see. Thanks for letting me know. I'll head down there shortly and take care of it." Gilbert thanked him and they both promptly ended the call. With a heavy sigh Steven threw his covers off and got up from his bed, wincing a little as he did so as his leg was still a little sore and proceeded to limp to the bathroom (opting not to use the crutch provided by the hospital that leaned against the wall by his nightstand) to quickly freshen up.

An hour later he was getting out of the taxi that had dropped him off in front of the familiar hospital once more and he proceeded inside. Gilbert was seated in the main lobby awaiting Steven's arrival. He did not have to say anything as the two shared a silent look of understanding and the combat butler bowed his head slightly in thankfulness. After stopping off at the receptionist and signing in, he proceeded down the halls to the ICU wing as swiftly as he could before rounding the corner that lead to that hallway down to Leo's room. Sure enough he was greeted with the very sight Gilbert had informed him of. Klaus sat in a small and uncomfortable-looking plastic chair against the wall across from Leo's room as the blinds to the observation window were down. With a slight shake of his head and another sigh, Steven silently made his way over to his friend and leader. Getting closer he took better notice of Klaus' appearance. His normally flawless and pristine formal clothing and hair was a bit wrinkled and disheveled, his red tie was loosened around his neck, and though his bandages from the day before were still present, they were slightly fewer in number. This was not too surprising as Klaus had always been a fast healer, however judging by his body language and expression, it was abundantly clear the red-haired man was still in dire need of more rest. His face was still a bit pale and he had light bags under his eyes, somehow noticeable even with his newly replaced glasses on, as his tired gaze stared intently at the ground and he sat leaning slightly forward with shoulders slouched, elbows resting on his knees, with his large hands loosely clasped in his lap. It wasn't until Steven made it half-way to the large man did the normally highly observant man take notice that he was no longer alone and he expectantly turned his gaze towards the newcomer. Upon noticing it was Steven, Klaus felt a small twinge of visible sheepishness at the second in command's deadpanned gaze and raised brow, as if he knew exactly what the scar-faced man was thinking. For a brief moment neither of them spoke and simply stared at each other before Steven eventually broke the ice (no pun intended).

"So…how long have you been staked out here?" Steven asked nonchalantly as he leaned his left shoulder against the wall beside him almost casually (though in reality he wanted to subtly take some of the weight off of his bad leg). Klaus averted his gaze out of both bashfulness and distraction as they instead refocused on the obscured window into Leo's hospital room.

"About two hours," he answered honestly, trying to not sound as exhausted and stressed as he looked. It did not work and Klaus knew it by Steven's subtle frown. He let out an exhale of air through his nose and continued. "I had come to relieve Gilbert so that he could return home and rest after nearly eight hours but he insisted he would stay as well. Not long after that, Miss Estevez ejected the both of us from Leonardo's room, heavily implying that I should leave to get more rest while she tended to him." Saying that last part out loud made Klaus sound almost like an overgrown child admitting his guilt to his guardian after committing some mild misdemeanor and Steven barely suppressed a snort at that thought as well as the combined mental visual of the shrunken doctor essentially kicking the much larger, flustered man out. Movement from the corner of his eye caught Steven's attention and he turned his gaze to look. Sonic had appeared in a blur of motion with a bag of chips he had somehow likely pilfered from a vending machine somewhere as the small simian struggled to open the plastic bag.

"I see Sonic has stuck around too," Steven said as the little monkey hopped onto Klaus' leg and held out the bag to him clearly asking for help in opening the frustrating thing. Klaus gave an affirmative hum as he obliged the primate and easily opened it before handing it back to Sonic who then let out a pleased chitter before proceeding to munch away on the corn chip treasures inside.

"He apparently hasn't gone too far from Leonardo's room since his admission according to Gilbert with the exception of acquiring some food," Klaus explained.

"Can't imagine where he gets that stubbornness from," Steven said wryly with a small smirk. It didn't last long though as it fell and gave way to a serious expression and Steven straightened up from the wall to look at the Brain Grid user directly. "Listen Klaus," he began, his tone stern. "I know you tend to be a bit of a bleeding heart, especially when it comes to the kid, but you _can't_ keep neglecting your own health like this because you feel responsible about what happened." His words caused a subtle twitch of Klaus' large hands but Steven either did not notice or did not care to press further on it as he continued his case. "Dr. Estevez is the best doctor we can hope for and Leo is a fighter; you know that better than anyone apparently. But forcing yourself to stay by his side is doing nobody, especially yourself, any favors. You _need_ to get more rest so you can be an effective leader not just for him but the rest of us too." Klaus was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"You're right Steven and I'm fully aware of that as well…" Klaus trailed off.

"But?" Steven inquired further with a raised brow sensing there was most likely a continuation to that sentence.

"But…there are other concerns that have my attention at the moment besides Leonardo's current welfare," he admitted averting his gaze in thought once more. Steven waited for the red-haired man to elaborate but Klaus instead remained silent, expression visibly taut and clouded with various thoughts that his exhausted and stressed mind apparently struggled to voice or make sense of in that moment. Steven's expression softened a bit and he clapped a firm hand on Klaus' tense shoulder causing him to redirect his attention back to his colleague.

"You're tired Klaus, you need a break. But I also understand where you're coming from," Steven admitted. "You aren't wrong about being concerned; after all, we were caught with our pants down for the first time in a long time and the kid nearly paid the price for it. Even with the King of Pain gone, we're still vulnerable while we pick up the pieces and so is he for that matter. So let's make a deal: while you get some rest and sort through whatever it is you need to, ideally without running yourself any more ragged than you already are, I'll take over Libra's main operations. We can also task one of the other inconspicuous members like Brigade or Anila to pop in every now and then if need be to keep an eye on him for your peace of mind instead of just relying on Dr. Estevez since she has her other patients and duties. Medically she can still keep us posted on his condition if there are any significant changes and besides," Steven paused his expression and tone taking on a teasing edge. "I'm pretty sure if you continue to stick around in this state she might have no choice but to forcibly sedate you and strap you to a bed until you've fully healed."

"I won't lie, I was seriously considering it," the familiar feminine voice cut in. The two men glanced up in her direction as the shrunken clone quietly closed the door to Leo's room as she gave them a cheeky grin having apparently heard the majority of their conversation. "Especially since Mr. Reinherz's more serious wounds are still healing. Honestly, if it were up to me, I wouldn't have allowed any of you to get discharged for at least another day or two but it wasn't my call at the time. Though that's not to say I won't force my hand if you give me enough reason to," she said staring pointedly at him through oversized lenses. "And before you ask, no, there are no changes in Leonardo's condition, negative or otherwise." Klaus, who had opened his mouth to ask that very question, quickly closed it again and let out a defeated sigh. Ideally he did not want to leave Leo but realistically, he knew he was being stubborn and a bit foolish. And as much as he did not want to admit it, the prospect of a nice, soft bed and some more sleep was almost too much to resist at that moment.

"All right," Klaus conceded before he slowly rose from the uncomfortable plastic chair and onto his feet causing Sonic (who had finished off the bag and was proceeding to search the bag for every crumb he could find) to jump off and glance up at them in silent inquiry.

"You'll keep an eye on him too while we're gone, won't you?" Steven asked the Beyondian primate with a small smile to which Sonic gave a squeak and quick salute of understanding. More or less satisfied, they both headed off towards the exit (Steven once more limping slightly the whole way) as Dr. Estevez and Sonic watched them both go.

In the hospital's main lobby, Gilbert sat patiently with one leg crossed over the other in one of the many chairs against the wall that had a direct line of sight to the doors Steven had gone through, hopefully to retrieve Klaus. While his posture and face was as professional and neutral as the rest of him, his mind was currently alight with his own thoughts. Naturally he was concerned about his young master's health and current state. When he had shown up to the hospital to give Gilbert some relief from the task of watching over the comatose Leo, looking almost more exhausted and worn down than when he had been previously, Gilbert's normally calm demeanor nearly fell and he wanted to protest in favor of having him return home to rest. However as a loyal butler of the youngest head of the esteemed Reinherz family, he knew it wasn't his place to speak against his master's wishes and had also known Klaus well enough to stubbornly refuse any course of action other than the one he was set on once he had made up his mind. So instead, Gilbert resolved to remain dutifully by his side until Klaus was satisfied. However after nearly and hour, Klaus' exhaustion became more apparent as the elderly combat butler picked up on the very subtle cues no one else but he had come to recognize over the years. When Dr. Estevez had shown up to kick them out of Leo's hospital room, Gilbert had hoped that would be enough and Klaus could finally be able to return home and focus on his recovery. Unfortunately that had not been the case as Klaus had wordlessly parked himself outside of Leo's room and refused to budge. Gilbert knew then that he had to take a more indirect approach to intervene and thus made the call to Steven. In the nearly 30 years Gilbert had served him, he had known Klaus to be a rational man, a tad headstrong perhaps, but a rational man nevertheless even in the worst of times or the most chaotic of situations. He knew where to draw the line and take a step back when he had to, which was why the elderly butler felt slightly more disconcerted with his unusual behavior this time around. And the reason why was painfully obvious.

The image of Leo's pitiful state as well as the events of what transpired in the Alterworld flashed through his mind and he felt his neutral expression slip slightly before quickly fixing it back in place. Honestly, Gilbert understood why Klaus was so distraught. Leo was a very likable young man who didn't deserve to endure that kind of cruelty. In fact, if he were to be perfectly honest, he was actually quite surprised Leo had stuck around at all after his prompt induction into Libra (especially after his first abduction that ended up landing him in the hospital in a full body cast). As one of the key figures in helping run Libra's information network, Gilbert had full access to everyone's background information in the city and when he had been tasked by Steven to dig into Leo's background upon his initial acceptance into Libra (couldn't be too careful after all), aside from his eyes, Leo really had no business being in such a dangerous city. However as he observed and got to know him, as well as hearing why he came to the city in the first place from Klaus, it was clear that he was as driven and capable as the other members despite not possessing any definitive combat abilities. Gilbert also discovered quickly enough that he was also very kind, thoughtful, and a hard worker as evidenced by his constant offers to assist him in various tasks such as errands or cleaning that no other member had offered, not that he expected anyone to. It was part of his job after all, to assist and serve his young master, and by extension Libra, in any way, no matter how big or small or how simple or difficult. Even so, the offer alone was always silently appreciated even if it created some subtle awkwardness for the boy in the beginning every time he was politely turned down. Honestly, it vaguely reminded him of Klaus and not just in the aspect of being mindful.

As a butler, it was his main duty to blend into the background and stand by to keep a watchful eye out for his young master's beck and call and as a result of doing so, it had made him quite adept at people watching. So as such, he observed and that was when the subtle similarities began to show themselves. They were both stubborn and protective of those they cared about, gentle and reserved and even a bit timid or easily flustered given the situation but also possessing a bit of a nasty temper when angered (though Leo's temper was more noticeable in reflexive verbal outbursts while Klaus' was more of a silent and much more intimidating fury), and recently even prior to all this curse business, he had come to realize that Leo had been subconsciously influenced by Klaus to some degree. In the beginning, Leo was quiet, noticeably anxious, and highly conscientious, and while he still was for the most part, back then it was almost to the point that he felt like he couldn't so much as sit on the furniture without thinking he may upset someone. Now though, he was much more at ease and even a bit more confident in his actions and involvement as he thought back to some of their past operations. The time Phillip had his brain extracted and Leo helped to lead them to the perpetrators, volunteering his services on his own accord to help eliminate the threat that resulted in the fellow who was gigantified and apparently tricked into inadvertently destroying the city by leading Sonic through the giant's body, and of course recklessly braving the second Great Collapse on foot until Gilbert had shown up to promptly get him to Klaus in time. While Leo had always had that spark of strong morality to him, Gilbert suspected the words and actions of the young Reinherz were also responsible in part for his subtle changes based on the way he sometimes caught Leo discreetly looking to Klaus whenever he was visibly bothered by something or other. While he was taught not to show much emotion that could interfere with his work or compromise the mindset or mood of those he served, Gilbert couldn't help but feel a miniscule spark of amusement at the subtle display of admiration as well as a twang of sympathy for the young man whenever he had such a troubled expression. Again the image of the gravely injured Leo lying in his hospital bed came to mind and Gilbert felt yet another, sharper twang that he fought down in order to prevent his emotions to show on his face. He took a controlled inhale of breath through his nose before softly letting it out. He supposed that it wasn't just Klaus' health and wellbeing he was concerned about.

At last the doors from the ICU wing opened and Klaus and Steven made their way through. Gilbert calmly stood to greet them with a cordial bow.

"Welcome back sirs. Shall I bring the car around to take you both home?"

"Actually, we need to head to the Office to get some things sorted out in preparation of resuming operations," Steven informed. Gilbert's professionally neutral expression did not waver though he felt the briefest twinge of hesitance thinking Klaus had somehow talked Steven out of letting him get some much needed rest. However he quickly realized after taking a quick glance to Klaus, who had a look on his face that was a mixture of exhausted resignation and an ambiguous sense of repurpose, that they had likely reached some sort of agreement.

"Understood," he replied. "Please wait here while I start up the car." Klaus gave a silent and grateful nod as he turned away to do so and Steven once more leaned against the waiting room's ivy coated wall to wait. As Gilbert walked away, he vaguely realized that the expression on his young master's face was almost strangely akin to that of Leo's; particularly whenever the younger man felt put off by something but didn't want to voice it in order to placate others, even if it was for his own benefit. The corner of his lips twitched into a faint, humorless smile. It appears as if Leo in turn influenced Klaus in some ways as well.  
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Returning to Pandorum Asylum was never a fun experience, prisoner or otherwise. The overly complicated and often times intrusive security measures and subsequent paperwork, the elaborate dark, dank concrete halls and linoleum floors, and uptight guards with high-powered weaponry were one thing; it was to be expected for such a high level security prison, especially when up against the chaotic inhabitants of Hellsalem's Lot. But then there was the warden. An older woman wearing a business suit, with a stack of gray hair that almost defied gravity, sullen cheeks and wearing an overly liberal amount of make up to almost give her a clownish appearance (something only Deldro was ballsy enough to point out to her face). She was always overly problematic whenever Libra requested permission to allow temporary bail to Hummer and Deldro whenever their assistance was needed. Even when said prisoners returned and all agreements were met, she always had some remark to make and threatened not to be so lenient the next time though Klaus or Steven had always managed to convince her otherwise. So when Lucky returned to escort the wounded Hummer and Deldro back, he knew there was going to be more in store than just some passive aggressive comments. Sure enough, upon noticing the bandages and injured state of the inmates in question, Warden Alice glared harshly at them and wordlessly directed them inside so they could discuss matters after they had been checked over again. After half a day where Hummer and Deldro rested while Lucky tried his best to smooth things over and keep from rescinding any future bailouts, they now all sat around a small table in a private interrogation room (the best thing they had to a mediation space apparently) with Lucky seated beside Hummer who was placed in high tech cuffs and shackles while Deldro's head protruded from his slit wrist and Warden Alice sat across from them, arms folded and clearly unhappy.

"So let me get this straight," she began with a stern glare. "Despite my constant misgivings about the repeated, temporary releases into your custody, you not only have the gall to return the inmates under _my_ authority injured, but expect me to look the other way in future endeavors? Honestly, I believe after this latest debacle I have every right to refuse and forcibly remove you from these premises and lock them back up so they can continue out the rest of their sentence uninterrupted."

"Please be reasonable Warden Alice," Lucky calmly interjected. "Their injuries were the result of dealing with a potentially deadly threat to not just the city but humanity as a whole. These things are expected to happen in such a high stakes situation; surely you understand this. Furthermore their injuries were not life threatening, your medical staff even confirmed that for themselves. So it is not as though we were acting carelessly."

"That's not the point here!" She snapped. "It's about the actions and constant bargaining and appealing of you technical vigilantes that is undermining my authority that is the problem and you just play it off as if whatever happens as a result isn't a concern to you! Do you have any idea how this will reflect on not just myself but the stability of this prison?"

"Sure, because the public in this city is _all_ clamoring over your reputation and this dump," Deldro muttered under his breath, feeling more irritated than usual due to lack of sleep from a combination of unnecessary tests and their still healing wounds. Normally Hummer would have chastised Deldro for making such comments but he instead was abnormally quiet and sullen as his gaze was focused downward in thought. Who did respond however was Warden Alice who growled and turned a pointed glare towards him. Not wanting to make things worse, Lucky attempted to quickly jump back into the conversation only for the audible buzzing of his phone to go off in his overcoat's pocket. She quickly redirected her irritated attention towards him as a result.

"Really?" She asked in exasperation as the bad luck bringer pulled out his phone on instinct and muttered a weak apology. Upon taking notice of Steven's name on his screen, Lucky felt a small pit of dread churn in the pit of his stomach and opened up the messaging app while bracing himself for any potential bad news and effectively ignoring the warden's further complaints. After finishing reading the message, Lucky let out a small sigh and turned his attention back to Warden Alice once more.

"I apologize again Warden Alice but it seems as though Klaus will be unavailable for an undetermined amount of time due to his injuries." That comment got Hummer's attention as he finally directed his gaze up from his thoughts to look at the older man. "However the second in command Steven, whom you spoke with before, just informed me that he would be willing to personally come in himself to negotiate on his behalf."

"Is Klaus okay?" Hummer found himself asking out of concern, speaking for the first time since their return.

"Yeah, Steven just says he needs more rest after returning to the hospital to check up on Leonardo." That comment caused Hummer to sit up a bit straighter and an insistent look replaced his formerly gloomy one.

"Were there any changes with Leo?" He asked hopefully. Unfortunately Lucky sighed and shook his head.

"He didn't say so I can only assume not." Hummer's expression fell and he deflated a bit.

"I see," he replied as Deldro just stayed silent and observed the interaction. Warden Alice too observed the interaction with visible confusion but before she could inquire about the unusual exchange and behavior from the normally chipper inmate, Hummer spoke again, this time sounding determined. "I wanna go visit him!"

"Huh?" the other three people in the room uttered in visible shock and confusion.

"I want to visit Leo. I know it's only been a day but I want to see for myself that he's okay and getting better. Can I Warden Alice?" Regaining her former irritation, she frowned and slapped a hand on the table in front of them.

"Absolutely not! Have you forgotten your position here? This is a prison and you are an inmate; there are no field trips for _criminals_!" She harshly rejected. However Hummer remained unfazed and persisted, almost rising from his chair were it not for the shackles that kept him chained to the floor.

"Please Warden!" He begged while stretching as far forward from his seat with his cuffed hands and Deldro up in response. The action and insistent pleading caught the woman mildly by surprise but she quickly recomposed herself and regained her firm demeanor. Wanting to de-escalate the situation, Lucky placed a hand on Hummer's shoulder and urged him to retake his seat. The handsome man gave Lucky a pleading look to which he was met with a firm look silently conveying him to settle down. Hummer complied and the older man then turned his attention to the authoritative female.

"With all due respect Warden, Libra has completed our portion of the usual agreement of returning Hummer and Deldro to your facility, alive and in good standing to serve out the rest of his sentence, upon completing their services to the community. Unfortunately as a result of those services _most_ of us, including a member of ours who these two are on friendly terms with, was injured, said comrade especially so, and they are expressing their natural wishes to at the very least be aware of their condition. Given their involvement and lasting good behavior in your care this past year, surely it can't be so unreasonable as to allow this as some sort of reward, with a supervisory escort of course. I can also _personally_ attend as well to ensure that there would be no problems or…negative urges, " Lucky expressed eyeing Deldro warily at the last sentiment who only grumbled something under the effect of "like I would when we're still injured, asshole." Regardless, Warden Alice's expression was unmoving.

"Again, this is a _prison_ , not a motel where inmates can come and go as they please. And even if I was willing to entertain such a ridiculous request, the assurances of a person who invites disaster and an organization that does not keep their word doesn't hold much meaning to me." Lucky was silent for a moment from the pointed remark before he tried a different approach.

"Then perhaps a compromise," Lucky suggested. "If we could provide these two with remote access to check up on our colleague without leaving this facility then surely that wouldn't be a problem." Despite the reasonable suggestion, the warden looked as if she still wanted to refuse. However she mistakenly turned her glower from Lucky to Hummer and caught the sorry puppy dog look the handsome man was giving her that immediately caused a barely noticeable blush to heat up her cheeks and her glower wavered at the attractive, if not slightly pitiful, sight. Quickly averting her gaze and re-establishing her firm mask she thought it over and let out a begrudging sigh.

"Very well. Since it's clear that you won't let this go I suppose I can allow some leeway with your request." Instantly Hummer's expression brightened into a relieved and grateful smile.

"Thank you so much Warden," Hummer said while Deldro remained silent but seemingly content with the outcome. Lucky also appeared pleased at the decision and caught sight the conflicted look on the older woman's face.

"It's a bit too late today but I'll make arrangements to have a direct feed into Leonardo's hospital room set up by tomorrow," he informed before glancing hopefully to Warden Alice. "And, as for the possibility of a personal visit later down the road should there be any significant developments or…unfortunate outcomes?" A part of him hated to even consider the idea and use it to his advantage, especially after seeing Hummer's formerly exuberant expression fall into that of clear dread and sorrow at that possible reminder. However it seemed to have the desired effect on the warden as she observed Hummer's expression and her frown softened ever so slightly without completely losing her stern demeanor.

"…I'll consider it," she relented. Satisfied with the outcome, Lucky gave a faint smile before also thanking the warden. Their meeting eventually came to a close with plans to discuss the possibility of Hummer and Deldro's future releases with both Klaus and Steven at a later date. Hummer and Deldro were then promptly escorted back to their cell as Hummer pleasantly bid Lucky goodbye for the time being, evidently looking both eager and restless for the following day. Lucky gave a small smile and little wave as they were willingly lead away. Once they were out of sight Lucky's smile fell and he let out a tired sigh before one of the guards turned to him to escort him out of the building. Wordlessly Lucky complied and as they made their way to the exit his mind wandered. For some reason despite as positive of an outcome as he could have expected, Lucky felt oddly tense as well.

The next day Lucky arrived at Bradbury General Hospital with his small handheld video camera in tow. After speaking both with Steven (in place of Klaus who was persuaded into taking a nap at the time to get more rest by Gilbert) as well as Dr. Estevez after leaving Pandorum Asylum, it was agreed upon that Lucky would live stream the video feed to Hummer and Deldro's cell whenever he or another member would visit (as Dr. Estevez was reluctant to allow any sort of constant, outside monitoring equipment for both privacy and the sake of security as it could also interfere with the hospital equipment and the orderlies' duties). Libra had also resumed their normal operations that day and with everyone else busy and back to their own respective tasks to maintain the city's fragile peace and Klaus taking his temporary leave to recover, Lucky was the only one realistically left to the task. He waited patiently outside Leo's hospital room for one of the shrunken copies of Dr. Estevez to emerge as the blinds were once more closed. After about twenty minutes she finally emerged and gave him a small, pleasant smile.

"Well, there are no significant changes in his comatose state but his physical injuries are thankfully starting to show signs of healing so we want to minimize prolonged exposure to outside sources for his own health. You can go in to visit him but please keep it brief, no more than ten minutes at max while most of the necessary machinery that can interfere with the signal is not currently being used at the moment, though keep in mind that could change at any time. If you need anything or if something happens just press the call button to the nurse station on the switch by his bedside and either a nurse, doctor, or myself should arrive shortly." Lucky nodded in silent understanding before Dr. Estevez turned to attend to her other duties. He entered into the room and shut it firmly behind him before turning to the comatose and bandaged Leo that lay in the hospital bed. At the foot of his bed perched Sonic on the metal railing having apparently slipped into the room unnoticed at some point prior to his arrival. The Beyondian primate turned to look at him briefly to see who had come in before recognizing who it was and warily put some distance between himself and the bad luck man by scurrying on top of one of the larger pieces of hospital machinery that beeped as it assisted in monitoring Leo's condition. Lucky did not pay any mind to this as he was instead focused on Leo's form. From what he could see Leo looked the same as last time, broken and badly injured but resting with newly replaced bandages covering his wounds and eyes. He frowned as he focused on the bandages covering his face in particular and gripped the video camera in his pocket a little bit tighter in response. Meanwhile, Hummer and Deldro were anxiously waiting seated in front of a computer monitor (still in their shackles and cuffs) for the video feed Lucky had promised them. Warden Alice stood close by to oversee matters as well as she stood stoically with her hands behind her back.

"What's taking him so damn long?" Deldro asked irritated.

"I'm sure it'll be any minute now," Hummer replied sounding hopeful but feeling just as impatient. Not even a second later did the computer screen's formerly blue screen turn to static before switching to a close up image of Lucky in real time as he spoke into the camera.

"Sorry, it took a while to get the okay from Dr. Estevez; she just got finished with his check-up," he began. "Unfortunately there hasn't been any major changes in his condition but she did say his physical wounds are starting to heal. However she only gave me a small window of time to live stream this so I'll try to get as much as I can." The camera then shifted slightly and turned to show the image of Leo still in his hospital bed but at a much closer angle from inside the room close to the foot of his bed with a considerable portion of the wall with all the various machines and the closed blinds of the observation window to the right of the frame. Hummer gave a small sympathetic sigh upon seeing Leo's condition once more. Deldro eyed his partner and snorted at his reaction.

"Well what did you expect Dog? It's only been like a day and a half, of course he's still gonna look like shit," he remarked. Any normal person would have likely gotten angry or been put off with his generally crass and dismissive manner but Hummer was not a normal person. Instead, Hummer silently stared at the screen for a moment before giving a small smile and replying.

"I guess that's true but at least he's still alive." Deldro studied Hummer slightly taken aback by his response before just grunting. He supposed he shouldn't have been so surprised, that was just the kind of person Hummer was: blindly optimistic and stupidly cheerful, in other words, everything he wasn't. Even after being stuck together for so long it was still a foreign and unusual concept for him that he couldn't say he particularly enjoyed. Before being turned into the sentient plasma he now was, he never cared about anyone or anything or felt sorry for anyone and was content as such as he did what he wanted regardless of the consequences. Then his entire world was turned upside down in a red and gushy mess courtesy of his now ex-girlfriend Aligula and he ended up stuck in Hummer's veins as a result, begrudgingly getting to know the handsome man who was also a victim of Aligula's actions just like him. And while he still feels a sense of loathing and contempt for everyone, _especially_ his ex, he also started to feel a slow but gradual shift in his uncaring and ruthless demeanor. He never knew the man prior but he could tell that what Aligula had done to him broke him more than he let on or was probably even aware of himself (and it was probably for the best that it stayed that way). During their forced union, Deldro could feel everything going through Hummer's body even in his liquidated form: the pain, the horror, the shock and finally, the breaking point of his mental state. When they engaged Exocrimson for the first time on accident, Hummer lost control and Deldro ended up taking over and going on a rampage as they escaped from Aligula's lair and destroyed everything they came across and hurting or killing many people in the process. Then Klaus stepped in and the rest was history.

The feeling of caring about something else besides yourself was both disgusting and annoying as hell. Even now he couldn't help but feel generally irritated and mildly unsettled not just over the man whose body he shared but the squinty eyed brat he had also risked both their lives to help save as he watched the live feed on the monitor screen. When he first met the kid, he was an unsightly, pitiful mess (though honestly he couldn't blame him too much since he had encountered Aligula for the first time and personally experienced her unique brand of crazy, though he never did exactly say what she did to him). But after the events of the second Great Collapse and witnessing what kinds of torture he endured at the hands of the Blood Breeds, he felt a slightly more pronounced spike of agitation and something else. The sappy feelings he often felt (that no way in hell belonged to him!) were there but there was something else: an understanding and pride of sorts. He at least _understood_ what kind of degree of pain the kid was subjected to and Deldro had to admit that Leo's tenacity was admirable that he came out of it alive at all. Though despite that, seeing him in the state he was in was still an unwelcome sight as he could tell through Hummer's biorhythms that it was also affecting the handsome man more than he was admitting.

Warden Alice, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, could only gawk at the footage in evident shock at the sorry state of the unknown lad they spoke of and felt a flare of disapproval and displeasure.

"A child? Seriously? Just when I think that man and his group of vigilante hooligans can't get any more thoughtless. How could they allow such a thing to happen or even let such a normal-looking boy to join Libra in the first place?" She criticized more to herself rather than the two inmates. Feeling his irritation spike at that comment and finding a good outlet for his aggression, Deldro turned his head to retort but before he could even open his mouth someone else shockingly beat him to it.

"Don't talk about Klaus or Leo like that," Hummer declared firmly with a stern glare. "You don't know what kinds of things they have gone through or what they could be feeling or thinking." Warden Alice blinked in disbelief, too shocked by the uncharacteristic display of defensive aggression to even get angry. Deldro on the other hand gave Hummer a subtle glance before letting out an amused huff at the warden's expression and turned back his attention to the screen. Hummer also refocused his hardened gaze back onto the screen before it softened almost immediately upon landing on Leo. The distant recollection of being strapped down to an operating table with the blood draining out of him surrounded by countless beeping medical machines not unlike the ones surrounding Leo flashed through his mind and a chill traveled through him. While Hummer still couldn't remember everything that happened during that awful experience (and honestly hopes he never does), sometimes some things trickled through the cracks. However despite his lack of memories, the dread was still there, ingrained in his being and this experience only seemed to bring it out even more. The only difference was that this time it wasn't himself in the position of suffering and that was almost worse.

Leo was a good guy; he was kind and a good person to be around. Even in the few times they've interacted Leo never judged him for his status as a criminal, but instead was sympathetic with his situation (having revealed that he heard what happened from the Queen of Monomania herself when he was being held captive by her during the monster truck incident) yet still treated him normally. That meant more to Hummer than most people realized. Despite his usual sunny and often airheaded personality, Hummer wasn't a complete fool. He knew people tended to act strangely around him at times whenever they interacted with him or even _looked_ at him (though why still eluded him, maybe they didn't like his outfit?). Regardless he always tried go on pretending like it never happened or even bothered him, but of course deep down it did a little bit. But Leo wasn't like that, not just him but Klaus and everyone else in Libra treated him like a normal person, or as normal as someone could be with his circumstances. So he resolved to help Libra however he could with his and Deldro's combined strength and abilities.

But then he got cocky, was overpowered not just once but essentially twice, and he nearly failed his friend to where he almost died as a result. While everyone else was able to deal with their adversary in the end, even after thinking if they switched up their game they would come out on top for sure, he and Deldro still couldn't win and ironically was saved by the very person who drastically altered his life in the first place of all people. He had mixed feelings about that as well as the words spoken to him by the burly, man-bat Blood Breed but above all else, he was disappointed in himself and worried for Leo. What if he broke too just like he did? Hummer clenched his fists as he continued to observe the live feed. That was when something else occurred to him, a memory of running through the ruined city during the second Great Collapse alongside Leo in stride. The look on his face then was that of determination, not surrender. Slowly Hummer's fists unfurled. That's right, Leo was a fighter. Even during this experience, in spite of all that agony he had gone through with the curse and his injuries, Leo never stopped fighting to get the King of Pain's true name for Klaus didn't he? He would come out of this; he had to. And in the meantime, things were going to change. He was going to get stronger so he could try to move forward too, just like Leo.

"I wonder if Mr. Abrams can get us some instructional videos or self-help books," Hummer wondered aloud causing Deldro and Warden Alice to give him a quizzical look at the out of nowhere inquiry. Unbeknownst to them, back at the hospital, Lucky was more concerned with his own thoughts and other matters. As he held the video camera in place on Leo's form, his gaze was focused downward in thought.

He would be the first to admit there was still some lingering regret about not being able to reach out to Libra and inform them in time of Pain and his actions. Even though it couldn't be helped and even though Leo said he didn't blame him for what had occurred, he still felt some small portion of responsibility but the past was the past. Pain was gone but there were even bigger problems now. The All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods was Libra's, no, _humanity's_ greatest asset against the Blood Breed threat next to Klaus' sealing capabilities. If they lost either it would be a devastating blow to humanity's future. He didn't want to think about the possibility but if there was a chance that Leo didn't come out of his coma, how were they going to utilize his eyes for the greater good? It made him seem unfeeling or uncaring he knew and while he did feel some level of concern for the boy's welfare, as Fang Hunters, as _Libra_ , sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Lucky shook his head slightly to rid himself of that reluctant train of thought. He'd focus on that possibility later. His gaze then shifted back up to Leo and he took in Leo's injuries more closely before his gaze drifted up to Leo's bandaged face focusing again on the bandages wrapped around his eyes.

He vaguely recalled their first encounter when Hellsalem's Lot usual abnormally dangerous conditions damaged Leo's eye. He had provided some minor supernatural first aid in hopes of helping to treat the precious artifact but unfortunately, whether it was due to the previous injury or the strain of using the eyes to such a degree, they ended up cracking anyway. Lucky was just thankful that he learned of the eyes' self-restoration capabilities though it still irked him that they were pushed to such a degree. Then again he supposed that if Leo hadn't pushed himself or his eyes then they would never have confirmed the alarming and vital information that they needed about the Elders Thirteen, or rather the infestation that resided in the void. He then thought back to the second Great Collapse when he had cautioned Leo about protecting the eyes but they still ended up cracked once more in his efforts to locate the final barrier Mary Macbeth and stop the King of Despair that controlled William Macbeth's body. He had given the boy an earful as he had his wounds treated for that but couldn't deny that his actions, as reckless as they were, helped to save the day and this time was no exception either.

As strong and capable as Klaus was, Lucky feared what would have likely happened if Leo hadn't acted when he did so he couldn't even get angry this time around. If anything, he was impressed with Leo's resolve and character despite his recklessness so he supposed it couldn't have been helped. After all it was not just his life but all their lives that were on the line too. But now the stability of not just his life, but also the future was at risk and he knew he had to do something. Lucky decided he would look more into supernatural remedies and solutions for if— _when_ Leo regained consciousness. One thing was for sure, regardless of whatever happened next, they were going to have to keep a much closer eye (no pun intended) on Leo and his All-Seeing Eyes.

"I should also give Klaus and Steven the rest of the binding bandages and some of my extra first aid talismans as a precaution," Lucky mused to himself. Silence once more promptly fell and the Blood Breed expert let out a sigh before the sounds of a commotion came from outside the hospital room. Curious, Lucky set down the video camera with it still recording as he went over to the observation window to peer through the closed blinds. No sooner had he done that though did the sound of a few shouts followed by things crashing result in several objects come flying through the window, breaking the glass and tearing through the closed blinds (narrowly missing Lucky's face by inches but of course not leaving a single scratch on him). The objects flew past him and aimed right towards Sonic sitting on top of the monitoring machine. Thankfully due to Sonic's speed and reflexes, he panicked momentarily before darting out of the way avoiding getting struck just in time as the objects (now revealed to be several pieces of sharp surgical tools like scalpels) were embedded into the monitor causing it to spark and malfunction before shutting off. Scared half to death at the near miss, Sonic trembled as he clutched onto the pole of Leo's IV while Lucky could only blink in surprise as he tried to register the unexpected happening. A split second later, one of Dr. Estevez's clones came through the door with a look of momentary panic on her face. Seeing the tools impaled into the now non-operational machine (which thankfully wasn't one of the necessary machines that regulated Leo's vitals) and not in a person, she relaxed somewhat before turning to Lucky.

"I'm sorry Mr. Abrams but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. There was just an unexpected rush of patients that are going to need treatment and we're going to have to move Leonardo to another room since this one was…compromised."

"Ah, of course," Lucky said in understanding. Lucky approached the camera and grabbed it before cutting the live stream feed, unaware that Hummer, Deldro, and Warden Alice had seen the whole thing and sweatdropped. In retrospect, maybe having someone with a supernatural bull's-eye on their back plus the unnatural ability to deflect harm onto others go into a place where people were already hurt or in need of healing was probably not the best idea.  
_

It wasn't until later that afternoon when K.K. finally had a moment to herself. The smog-filled wind blew across the rooftop she had been stationed on as she hastily packed up her high tech rifle with a scowl. The job itself wasn't anything major, just a small support mission in assisting with providing long range back up for a tense hostage situation involving a Beyondian crime boss who was cornered by HLPD. It was easily resolved with a single bullet to the mobster's gut and now he was being loaded up into the back of an ambulance to be transported to the prison's hospital. Despite that however she wasn't as satisfied as she normally would have been. K.K. slung her packed up rifle over her shoulder and sent a quick message on her cell phone to Steven to report the job was finished with a small, irritable growl. Despite not liking the ice-cold man so much, under normal circumstances she wouldn't particularly care that she had to temporarily report to him (especially since Klaus needed the rest and was barred from coming in for the sake of his own health, which she was in full agreement of). However she had been feeling more restless and aggravated than usual over the smallest things and of course hearing from Steven about what had happened at the hospital with Abrams involving his penchant for bad luck didn't improve her mood either. As she impatiently awaited a response, she let out a heavy sigh in an effort to curb her vexation before her mind went back to the day before.

When she had returned to her and her family's apartment from the hospital, wanting to just fall into bed and sleep away her stress, she had tried to be as quiet as possible upon entering their bedroom where her husband slept. As quietly and effectively as she could with her injuries, she changed out of her combat outfit and into her pajamas but could not stifle some groans of discomfort as she slipped into bed next to him. Her husband was both a light sleeper and highly attuned to any signs of distress from his wife and naturally stirred awake upon feeling the shift of weight on the bed. His tired eyes studied her for a moment before taking in the sight of the bandages and bruises on her and quickly sat up.

"What happened?" he asked concerned. Still lying down, she smiled in as reassuring a way as she could before responding.

"Just the usual," she said in a tone filled with exhaustion but her husband saw right through her attempts to play it off. He brushed away some loose strands of her blonde hair that fell into her face so he could observe her a bit closer.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked gently. Her fake smile slowly fell, knowing she had been caught, and she grunted to slowly sit up so that they could speak properly.

"A coworker of mine was just involved in an 'incident' and we had to clean up the mess," she said vaguely. "He's alive for now but…" she trailed off, not wanting to say any more. While never knowing the specifics of her job, he understood the general tendencies of his wife's line of work and therefore understood the reading between the lines. He didn't say anything but instead gingerly wrapped his arms around her so as not to harm her further and comforted her as she continued. "We were given the day off to recover. I'm fine, just sore and tired."

"I see," he said after a short pause. Another brief lapse of silence followed before he directed his gaze to hers. "But you know, if your coworker is in the same line of work as you, then I'm sure that he'll pull through just fine. For now you should just focus on getting all the rest you need. Even world-saving heroes need a break after all. And hey, since you have the day off, maybe later we could spend the day to relax as a family. Maybe order some takeout and watch a movie; it's been a long time since the four of us have done something together. I'm sure Kane and Zane would like that too." This time K.K. gave a genuine smile of appreciation as she nodded in agreement and returned the hug with one of her own. They sat like that in silence for a moment before the alarm clock next to their bed went off. Reacting quickly, he reached over to shut off the annoying appliance and let out a sigh as he got up and slid on his slippers and put on his robe.

"Guess I should start breakfast. Do you want me to save you anything?" K.K. shook her head in response.

"No, I'll save my appetite for dinner. Right now I just need some sleep." He gave her an understanding smile and nodded. Leaning down, her wonderful husband placed a tender kiss on her forehead in a silent gesture of comfort and reassurance before he exited the room to let her rest in peace. K.K. sat there for a moment, feeling conflicted despite the sensible reassurances of her husband as she still felt uneasy when she thought back to Leo. Ultimately she ended up deciding to take her husband's advice to rest and not focus on anything else right then. K.K. sighed and reached for her phone before hesitantly shutting it off to dissuade from receiving any unwanted calls or texts. She placed the phone down next to her side of the bed before easing herself back down onto the mattress, pulling the covers up and finally allowing her heavy eyelids to close as she drifted off to sleep and drowning out her lingering concerns with slumber.

K.K. was then snapped out of her recollection by her vibrating cell phone still clutched in her hand. Shaking her head to refocus she glanced at the response sent by Steven. "Good work. Remain on standby for now" was the message she received and K.K. let out a small huff, more or less satisfied with the reply but still feeling mildly distressed. She pocketed her cell phone and glanced upwards in thought.

"I should reload on ammo back at Patrick and Neyka's place just in case," she mused. "If nothing else maybe I can blow off some steam there." With that she headed for the ladder leading down the building's fire escape.

Once at the two weapon experts' workshop, K.K. gave her usual secret knock and waited. After a moment longer than usual, Neyka finally answered. Upon seeing that it was K.K. at the door, she gave a small smile and wordlessly gestured her inside. She complied, ignoring the usual, if not noticeably larger, mess of half-finished blueprints and tech parts spread about the floor and on the counters and shelves and promptly made her way inside where Patrick was hunched over some partially disassembled weapon, welding some circuitry in silence. However upon hearing the sounds of additional footfalls besides Neyka's he stopped and glanced up from his work.

"Hey K.K.," he greeted pleasantly, though not sounding quite as enthusiastic as he usually was. Naturally, the sniper took quick notice of this.

"Everything okay?" Patrick tried to play off her concern with a smirk but it instead came out more as a strained grimace.

"Yeah…well," Patrick's smirk fell and he decided it was just better to come clean. "Actually my muse and I are apparently not on speaking terms at the moment." Neyka came over with a couple of mugs of lukewarm coffee for the two of them and silently offered it to her and her partner to which they graciously accepted. "I guess losing the Agasaya Mark Two is still rubbin' me the wrong way and with…you know, everything else happening I guess my mind's not really in it at the moment." K.K. gave the dark skinned man a look of sympathy; that explained the half-finished tech and scattered plans she supposed.

"I know what you mean," she replied glancing down into her cup as Patrick sipped from his. She was silent for a moment as she stared at her murky reflection before letting out a loud growl of frustration and ruffled her blonde hair with her free hand. Patrick and Neyka observed this but didn't say anything; they didn't need to.

"Dammit! Why is everything so different this time around?" She asked aloud. Confused, Patrick and Neyka tilted their heads and raised their brows in clear inquiry allowing her to continue. "I mean, I know people in Libra get badly hurt or even _killed_ every now and then and Leo especially is no exception with how much trouble seems to love finding him, but why does this time around feel so much more…unsettling?" Patrick and Neyka exchanged wary glances before Patrick spoke up, gently setting his mug down on the workbench beside him.

"Maybe because he might actually—"

"He _won't_ die!" She cut him off with a dangerous tone and glare, daring him to continue. Patrick put his hands up in a silent gesture of surrender and immediately K.K. felt her irritation ebb away as she sighed again, feeling slightly guilty for going off on him. That was when Neyka, usually being one of little to no words, spoke up.

"Then why don't we go visit him?" The other two glanced at her, contemplating the possibility but unsure if they wanted to see the bad state Leo was in a second time. Before K.K. could reply the sound of her cell phone vibrating in her pocket caught their attention. Pulling it out, she was greeted with the sight of a text from Steven likely alerting her to another potential task. Feeling the overwhelming urge to shoot something (or someone) grow stronger, K.K. scowled and fought the urge to let out another growl before she stopped and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Okay, maybe I should. Abrams did say before that Leo was showing signs of healing at least physically so if nothing else I could get an update on him," she reasoned. Patrick looked a bit thoughtful.

"We'll come with too, I could use a breather from rehashing old tech," he said rising from his seat as Neyka nodded in agreement once more falling back into her usual silence. K.K. gave him a small smile before again her cell phone buzzed and she glanced down to see another message from Steven as well as a portion of the text requesting her immediate assistance on the frontlines of another volatile situation before the screen went black. This time K.K. could not suppress the loud, frustrated growl that rose up from her throat and she clenched her jaw.

"It'll have to wait, duty calls," she informed with a huff before a sinister smile crossed her face. "You got any extra magazines for my rifle and pistols in back?" she asked sweetly. Patrick chuckled, knowing full well that K.K. finally found a healthy way to cope with her steadily building aggression.

"How many do you need?"

Early the next morning, Patrick, Neyka and K.K. met up in front of the hospital. After getting the new room information from the Alterworldly receptionist at the front desk and receiving the okay from Dr. Estevez, the three made their way down the hall of the ICU wing until they stopped in front of the observation window to Leo's new room. The blinds were drawn halfway shut but they could still roughly make out the shape of Leo in bed. Eagerly, K.K. went to the door and turned the handle before quickly entering with the two weapons enthusiasts right behind her. Sonic immediately turned his attention from fiddling with one of the stethoscopes left behind by one of the less attentive doctors and abandoned the object in order to greet the familiar faces. Smiling, Neyka held her arms out for Sonic to climb up and receive an affectionate scratch behind the ears. K.K. smiled faintly at the sight before refocusing back on the comatose Leo. He still looked mostly the same as the last time they had seen him though he appeared to have a bit more noticeable color in his cheeks and some of his bruises were starting to fade. She wasn't the only one who noticed this either.

"He _does_ look a little better than last time," Patrick said as he glanced Leo over through his sunglasses. Neyka came over by his side and nodded in agreement as Sonic jumped out of her arms and ran to Leo's side on the bed to once more fiddle with the new toy he found (apparently in some sort of attempt to mimic what he saw the doctors do to monitor Leo earlier if they had to guess). K.K. hummed in agreement as she gazed down at the comatose lad who had steadily grown on her. Instinctively, she reached out a hand to brush some locks of messy hair out of his bandage-wrapped face when she stopped herself. That was when it clicked, the reason she felt so much more restless and aggravated lately: it was because he appealed to her motherly side.

Honestly she couldn't believe she didn't realize it sooner. Leo was a sweet boy, innocent and gentle though at the same time mature, polite and reserved…well, whenever Zapp wasn't egging him on with his teasing or he wasn't being thrown into perilous situations. Though they didn't always interact very often due to her constant involvement with various other armed operations both in and out of Libra (ironically much like her biological sons), whenever something particularly bad happened to the young man that she heard about or was present to witness, K.K. realized she often seemed to get a bit more riled up than usual though she always tried to suppress it for the most part. It wasn't exactly professional after all and she doubted Leo would likely have appreciated or felt comfortable with the attention had she acted fully on her motherly tendencies. She also seemed to take a particular interest in his life as well when it came to certain aspects like his sister or his lack of a love life (that topic was always a bit fun to tease him about during the rare peaceful moments they enjoyed a cup of coffee together while on standby). In retrospect, it was almost identical to how she interacts with her own sons though with more obvious differences.

Leo was a magnet for trouble though he can't exactly help it given the circumstances with his eyes that also seemed to come with a lot of emotional baggage for him. But despite that he never backed down when things got ugly. She saw that first hand during the second Great Collapse when she and Steven witnessed him running headlong through the frozen and electrified battlefield they had left behind in their wake in his efforts to reach and assist Klaus and again when he fought tooth and nail to protect his sister from that Alterworldly doctor prick that targeted them both for Leo's eyes. She felt both a sense of pride and fierce protectiveness that only a mother could during both of those instances and this incident with the King of Pain only threw that motherly urge into overdrive. Now aside from the aggravation of what that damned Blood Breed had done to Leo there was the frustration that there was nothing she could realistically do to help him when he is still in such bad shape as well as, as much as she didn't want to admit it, the fear of the potential worst case scenario. She shook her head to rid herself of that thought and took a breath to calm down a bit. He was showing signs of improving; that was what she needed to focus on. He was a fighter, he was going to get through this, and when he did, she was going to set some things straight with him. Call it motherly intuition but something told her that he would somehow end up blaming himself for what happened and they needed to take responsibility so that they could prevent a repeat of this situation. After all, that was what any real mother would do, right?

Patrick and Neyka observed the thoughtful look on the Libra sniper's face but chose to remain silent. It wasn't until the familiar, constant buzzing of K.K.'s cell phone sounded that the silence was finally broken. Immediately K.K. let out another irked growl as she pulled out her cell phone and saw that this time she was receiving a call from Steven. Realizing that her time was up, K.K. let out a heavy sigh and answered the call in a curt tone.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry to call so early K.K. but a short-notice operation has come up. We need you in the office ASAP," Steven replied sounding vaguely aware of her irritation but largely unfazed by her snappy response. She fought back another sigh.

"I'm on my way," she relented and then hung up before Steven could reply. She shoved the phone back into her red trench coat's pocket before glancing back to Patrick and Neyka but before she could say anything, Patrick beat her to it.

"Do what you gotta do K.K., Neyka and I can stick around for a while longer," Patrick assured as Neyka gave a silent double thumbs up. She gave them a small appreciative smile and nod before glancing back down to Leo briefly and then proceeding to swiftly leave the room and passing by the observation window to leave. Patrick and Neyka then turned their attentions back to Leo as the beeping of the medical equipment once more overtook the silence for a few more quiet moments. Patrick leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets as Neyka took a seat in the one chair situated in the room and sighed as a frown replaced Patrick's usual grin. Neyka looked to him curiously at the sulky display. Understanding her silent inquiry Patrick responded.

"Sometimes I just don't get how things could get this far," Patrick said. Since the two worked together so seamlessly and frequently they practically shared a brain so Neyka understood almost immediately what Patrick had meant. In the time that they had known Leo, he had always refused to use or even carry any of their weapons or gear for protection and the reason why always seemed to elude them both. While Neyka more or less accepted his decision, Patrick on the other hand was always insistent on it both out of pride for his work and concern for Leo's welfare. With as dangerous and chaotic as this city was and how often Leo ends up finding himself in one bad situation after another, it was frankly suicide _not_ to have some kind of protection (hell, even _they_ packed some kind of heat when out and about). He had even pointed this out to Leo at one point following the one time he actually _had_ borrowed a weapon from them, a non-lethal stun baton, only to return to their workshop to apologize for losing the weapon beaten half to hell because he didn't have something stronger on him. What Leo had said had in response when Patrick grilled him on why he should really carry a better weapon on him stuck with him like unpleasant, sticky glue.

" _I just don't have it in me to hurt others, even if they hurt me. As long as I get away alive then that's enough of a win for me_." Patrick and Neyka both honestly didn't know what to think of that statement. The look of nonchalant acceptance on his face when he said this was both baffling and disconcerting but there had also been a hint of sadness too when he had spoken (or perhaps he was just imagining it). They then both thought back to a few days ago when this mess was apparently just starting out and recalled how sick Leo looked and acted. If what Klaus and Steven had told them was true about the happening of events, then that was likely the time when the curse that Leo was afflicted with was starting to take its hold on him. If Leo had just kept a better weapon on him, it wouldn't have stopped the Blood Breed, but maybe it would have slowed him down enough so Leo could have gotten away and gotten help from them and this entire ordeal would have never happened in the first place. But at the same time, in some morbid way, it was almost inspirational to see how far Leo would go to stay true to his own ideals. He found a way out of that dangerous situation the best way he could and without any kind of firepower other than his own grit. In spite of their passion for weaponry, Patrick and Neyka also had to respect that kind of restraint and pacifistic viewpoint. Patrick then gave an amused huff as his lips quirked upwards slightly.

"If only you could weaponize that kind of resilience. If he's half as stubborn about…" The large man trailed off as a look of inspiration dawned on him. Neyka looked to him, again knowing exactly what he was thinking, especially after catching the steadily growing grin on his face as he pulled out a small pocket notebook used to jot down what had apparently popped into mind. He let out a small, exuberant chuckle as he and Neyka exchanged an excited look as he finished scribbling while Sonic just looked on in curious confusion completely out of the loop. "Looks like my muse is back."

The two muttered and brainstormed for about an hour when a nurse finally came in to shoo them out so she could attend to Leo in peace (apparently they were going to be running a second series of examinations and X-Rays to make sure things were healing properly). After they were ushered out, the duo promptly left the hospital to make a quick supply run before returning to their workshop to get started. They also shot a quick message to both Steven and K.K. to update them on the situation with Leo though they received no reply back. Regardless, the two didn't think too much about it as they were eager to get started on their next project and was sure that someone would get to it eventually.  
_

It wasn't until a day and a half later when the update from Patrick reached the rest of Libra. As it turned out, the unexpected operation Steven had informed K.K. of had progressed from a quick, minor raid on a small Alterworldly terrorist group that was brewing up some rather messed up stuff had developed into a series of prolonged hits on multiple locations in an effort to flush out the manufacturer and prevent their intended chemical warfare before it leaked out to the unsuspecting public. Eventually the wild goose chase ended before the main perpetrators had a chance to slip away after the sixth location Libra decimated and the lethal compounds they created were effectively contained and destroyed. During this time, Klaus had also begun to grow restless from his forced leave of absence and had articulated his desire to assist in the operation or at the very least visit Leo in the hospital due to the brief lapse of updates regarding his condition. However, Steven promptly shut him down. Apparently Gilbert had caught Klaus more than once working on something on his laptop in his personal study or attempting to leave his home to head to some unknown location when he was still supposed to be in bed resting from the last of his injuries. He had managed to once more talk the persistent man down and assured him as well as the others, who had also become silently concerned over the unsettling length of time that it had been since Leo's admission, that Dr. Estevez would have contacted them if there had been any significant changes and that they would just have to be patient. While most seemed to begrudgingly accept this, there were some (aside from their reluctant leader) who were not so satisfied with that prospect.

Zapp puffed on what seemed like his thousandth cigar over the course of the past few days as he angrily stewed in his spot on the office couch. A pile of half-smoked cigars and cigar butts sat on the ashtray before him on the coffee table as he crossed his arms and slouched back into the cushions after Steven had addressed the rest of the team following the successful operation. The Esmerelda Blood Freeze user had then left them to their own devices during their brief reprieve while he finished up the remaining reports and paperwork so Zapp used that time to numb his senses and thoughts with the nicotine. It wasn't until Zed had entered into the quiet room with closed book in hand that he finally snapped out of his absentminded haze. The Kagutsuchi branch user looked to the Shinatobe branch user, slightly more coherent than he previously was but still choosing not to say anything. The fish man took a seat in the armchair opposite of him with book still in hand. He seemed to contemplate something for the briefest of seconds before he directed his gaze to stare directly at his senior pupil.

"I think we should go visit Leo today." Zapp's gaze drifted from Zed down briefly to the book in his webbed hands before glancing back up to him; apparently it was some sort of medical book judging by the caduceus decorated on the spine.

"Yeah?" The white-haired male only uttered sounding mildly disinterested before taking the cigar out of his mouth and blowing out a stream of smoke. "Knock yourself out then Fish Face." Zed looked mildly aghast by the seemingly uncaring response.

"You don't want to go?"

"That's what I freakin' said, didn't I?" Zapp replied hotly. Choosing not to comment on the technicality of his phrasing, Zed instead asked the more prominent question.

"But aren't you worried about Leo?" This comment seemed to spark a flare of hostility as Zapp scowled and stamped out his current cigar into the pile of others in the ashtray with a bit more force than necessary causing some lingering ashes to fly out.

"No, I'm not!" Zapp snapped as he ground the pile of used up cigars further into the ashtray. "It's not like the Pube Head hasn't been in a freakin' hospital before and visiting him ain't gonna make him wake him up any faster. Besides, I got more important things to do than waste my time in some shitty hospital room." Before Zed could even think of how to respond, Zapp's head suddenly jerked forward as Chain materialized crouching down on top of his head.

"Like smoke until your lungs turn black?" she retorted with her usual indifference. However it didn't last as Zapp let out a loud and angry growl and suddenly got to his feet and summoned his Homuramaru causing Chain to nimbly leap backwards off of him mildly taken aback by the particularly hostile display of aggression. On instinct, Zed also got to his feet to intervene should things come to blows but Zapp didn't move other than to snarl and glare daggers at the two of them.

"What is your problem?" Chain asked heatedly. Seeming to finally realize how far things were being taken, Zapp huffed and dispelled his blade.

"Just piss off! If you wanna go waste your time watching over a brain dead sleeping beauty, be my guest." With that Zapp turned on his heels and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

"Asshole," Chain glowered while Zed silently glared at the door the white-haired male left through.

"He has certainly been more insufferable and belligerent than usual since Leo's admission," he admitted before then turning his attention to the Invisible Werewolf. "Speaking of which, would you be interested in visiting the hospital with me to check up on him?" Chain thought about it for a moment but looked apologetic.

"Can't; I have some last minute tasks to finish up for the Werewolf Bureau." Zed seemed a bit discouraged by the response but nodded to show that he at least understood.

Zapp stomped down the sidewalk, carelessly passing by or pushing past other pedestrians with his hands shoved into his pockets and grumbling under his breath and cursing everything he could think of.

"Stupid She Bitch and Fish Face, stupid Blood Breed and his fucking curse, stupid shithead and his freaking damsel in distress routine!" No sooner had that sentence escaped his lips did the recollection of Leo writhing in agony and crying out in suffering during the Maledictum's awakening cross his mind, just as it had every other time he thought of the young member. Zapp literally stopped in his tracks mid-tirade before shaking his head vigorously to clear his head of the unpleasant images. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Ever since he had woken up after getting back from the hospital, Leo's condition was the only thing that kept popping up in his mind as he tried to enjoy the benefits of his degenerate lifestyle during his unexpected day off.

"Fucking brat. Even when you're not even here, you're annoying as hell." Instinctively he reached into his vest's inner breast pocket for another cigar only to find to his frustration that he was all out. He cursed under his breath and let out a sigh before glancing around only to realize that he actually wasn't too far from one of his favorite dive bars. "Screw it, I could use a drink instead anyway." Zapp continued down and around the corner before ducking into one of the side alleys as a shortcut. He made it down a couple of lanes when movement to his left and a gruff and garbled shout caught his attention.

"Hey you, Huma!" Zapp stopped and turned his head towards the direction of the voice. Three suspiciously familiar Alterworldly thugs dressed in gangster clothing menacingly stalked towards him, one a slender, reptilian humanoid, the second an almost deformed insectoid with a bulbous head and the third a portly slug-like behemoth with several eyestalks and a (quite literally) big mouth. The slug-like thug called out to him again with a sneer. "You got some nerve cuttin' through here on our turf."

"Yeah," the insectoid punk chipped in. "And guess what, there's a toll to pay for those who wanna get through. So how's about you hand over one of your internal organs as payment and maybe we'll let you live."

"Or better yet, why don't we just take whatever other organs we'd like from ya along with your cash," the reptilian cackled as he grinned menacingly showing his sharp teeth. However Zapp was unimpressed and unfazed at the threat and just stared at them blankly before ignoring them and walking away.

"Screw off freaks. You small fry ain't worth my time," Zapp replied coldly. Naturally, this response did not sit well with the three hoodlums.

"What'd you say asshole?" the reptilian growled as all three of them postured themselves aggressively and stalked forward. Again, Zapp was unfazed but turned to face them and squared up to stand his ground.

"You got ears don't ya? I said piss off! I won't be so nice if you make me say it a third time." The three Beyondian baddies growled and positioned themselves as close to the Libra member as they dared in an attempt to intimidate him.

"What makes you think a lowly little Huma like you can talk to us like that huh?" the slug-like thug asked getting in Zapp's face as he leaned down towards him with large teeth bared.

"Yeah," the insectoid thug chimed in. "You wanna know what we did to the last Huma who tried to be a hero?" Zapp didn't respond. "We beat his squinty-eyed ass down so hard he likely ended up some emergency room and we'll do worse to you if you don't—" the thug didn't get the chance to finish as Zapp's fist collided with his mantis-shaped face. It didn't take a genius to know exactly who the creep was talking about and Zapp's building anger had finally reached the flash point. The other two thugs looked mildly shocked for a split second by the retaliation but quickly snapped out of it and moved to attack Zapp. The entire scuffle didn't last more than a minute as Zapp then proceeded to beat the ever-living daylights out of all three of them and promptly finishing up with a healthy dose of flames leaving them battered and scorched but still somehow alive. The three groaned in a defeated pile on the ground as Zapp stood over them scowling. He then leaned down and picked their pockets until he found a decent amount of cash on all three of them and pocketed it.

"Consider this a lenience fee for not killing you asswipes. And FYI, this alley is _my_ turf now," he said smugly as he turned to leave. "Thanks for the cash losers." Zapp continued on his way not bothering to look back. After making it down another avenue, it was then that Zapp's stomach rumbled in hunger. Slowing a bit from his brisk stride, Zapp placed a hand on his stomach and reconsidered his options. A glance to his right out of the alley seemed to provide the answer as he saw the storefront of Dianne's diner on the corner across the street. Feeling a bit calmer than before, Zapp rethought his decision to get drunk at the bar (he was also pretty sure getting sloshed while still technically on the job wouldn't have been taken very kindly by Steven) and instead decided to opt into getting some comfort food with his generous, new allowance. He proceeded out of the alleyway and jaywalked across the street before entering through the door where the familiar waitress greeted him.

"Hey there," Vivian said from her usual spot behind the counter. She was in her usual white short-sleeved uniform shirt, blue jeans, and green apron with her short, blonde hair tucked into her red backwards baseball cap. "Welcome to—oh, it's you, one of Leo's coworkers," she said as Zapp just grunted and plopped himself down on the barstools in front of her. The diner wasn't too busy at that time of day so she poured him his usual drink of soda while Zapp just silently looked over the menu placed in front of him. Deciding he was just trying to figure out what he wanted to order, she left him to it to tend to her other tables. However as Zapp continued to stare at the table mat menu in front of him, he again couldn't focus on anything other than the past events.

He had never gotten this worked up before whenever the scrawny kid's danger prone ass got into trouble. Not to say he hadn't been _completely_ unaffected by Leo's struggles whenever it occurred and he didn't _hate_ Leo (he was admittedly good company and even better entertainment), but he had just mostly developed some sort of annoyed acceptance and indifference to it all. Although for some reason some instances stuck out in his mind more than others; the events leading up to the second Great Collapse when he went missing, the time his sister came to the city and he was stuck fighting for his and his sister's lives…this most recent mess with the King of Pain and his bullshit curse. God, why was he so fixated on this? Why couldn't he just forget about it and move on like he had with all the other times? Why was he so angry and defensive? The sound of someone trying to get his attention caused Zapp to snap his head up and blink in confusion.

"So…are you ready to order yet?" Vivian asked raising a brow with notepad and pen in hand. Zapp fumbled his thoughts and words for a bit before managing to give an intelligible answer.

"I'll just have the usual."

"Cheeseburger and fries, you got it," Vivian said as she took his menu and tucked it away before handing the order off to the cook. Zapp didn't say anything else and instead went back to staring mindlessly off into space, this time focusing on his drink after taking a sip from the straw. Taking note of his unusually distracted demeanor (usually he was more receptive to her, even if it was to try and comp a meal or occasionally ask her out on a date) and the absence of Leo, she decided to comment on it. "We don't normally see you in here alone, usually Leo's with you. We actually haven't seen him in a while, did he find a new diner or something?" She asked with a lighthearted tone and grin. Zapp felt his irritation start to spike and he shot her a brief glare. He considered whether or not he should say anything but the words left his mouth before he was even fully aware of it.

"The Pube Head's laid up in the hospital." Immediately Vivian's demeanor shifted from friendly to concerned and mildly embarrassed from her unintentional insensitivity.

"The hospital? My God, what happened to him?" the young woman asked with a creased brow and frown. Zapp snorted in response.

"It's freakin' Hellsalem's Lot, what the hell do you think happened to him?" Zapp retorted curtly. The kitchen's cook, who overheard the exchange, glanced up from his grill through the small service window to glare at the rude reply but chose not to say anything as he went back to cooking. Vivian too chose not to comment on the snappy remark as she had come to know that's just how he was sometimes. Though something else seemed to occur to her and her gaze softened a bit as she carefully collected his plate of quickly prepared food and setting it in front of him.

"I guess you must be pretty worried about him then," she said sympathetically. Zapp paused just before he bit into his greasy meal and glanced up to her. His first instinct was to naturally deny it but for some reason he couldn't find the words. Again the images of Leo's suffering flashed through his mind coupled with the words he uttered to them pleading for help during his initial admission into the hospital before they were even fully aware of the true extent of his situation. He lowered his burger before replying bluntly in a tone that had no real heat to his words.

"Why the hell should I be worried?" Vivian studied him for a moment almost in subtle disapproval before the call of another patron asking for a refill caught her attention.

"Well, you should think about checking up on him at least once. I'm sure he would like the company," she suggested before grabbing her coffee pot and walking away to tend to the other customers. Zapp didn't say anything as he watched her go before he glanced back down at his burger and, after a brief moment of pause, forcing himself to take a bite.  
_

Zed made his way down the sidewalk alongside the busy road as he walked to Bradbury General Hospital. He needed a breath of fresh air after the stifling and lingering tension created by Zapp. As he walked in silence he observed some passersby, both Huma and Beyondian, and how they interacted and talked amongst each other. He saw some Huma and Beyondian teenagers were having a heated, though not unfriendly competition on some handheld gaming systems as they waited at a bus stop while a couple of Huma women passed by him whispering over some gossip and even two Alterworldly males in business attire were laughing and chatting over a cigarette when a human coworker approached and joined them with his own pack of smokes. Not one of them looked at Zed as he passed them by and Zed in retrospect found it a bit ironic that he blended in almost too well considering his previous experiences. He let out a quiet sigh at that reminder, thinking back to his master's words.

" _You're the only horrific thing like you on this planet so you're bound to live a life of loneliness so impressive that you'll wish you'll have opted for the simplicity of having your vital organs melt within you_." While Zed had chosen the chance of life that day and did not regret it, he still felt a bit of truth to his master's harsh words. He knew he was neither human nor Beyondian but something else entirely and would have no one who could relate to him and perhaps it was part of why he always seemed to distance himself from others and had problems forming close ties with people. He understood most things thanks to the books he read and the knowledge he attained from them and what was taught to him by his master but often had difficulty understanding the intricacies of interpersonal relationships and even now the concept of camaraderie, while not unwelcome, was still foreign to him. But then he came to Hellsalem's Lot and joined (or more accurately, was surrendered to) Libra and everything sort of changed.

Before he could contemplate things further the sight of the hospital came into view and Zed glanced up at the large ivy-coated building with giant creature protruding from it's walls and blue medical cross imprinted on its forehead. Without another thought Zed entered inside into the main lobby and walked up to the Alterworldly female humanoid receptionist at the front desk. After signing in, the receptionist glanced at the sign in sheet and hummed.

"Mr. Watch seems to be quite popular, we actually had another person show up to see him just now." A look of surprise graced Zed's face as he glanced up to her.

"Really? Who was it by chance?" He inquired. The receptionist shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I was just getting back from break when I heard someone ask what room he was in." Curiosity took hold of him as the thanked the receptionist and turned to walk into the ICU wing towards Leo's room. He silently wondered who it was that the receptionist had heard ask about Leo and mused that maybe it was another friend of Leo's through his other part time job who had somehow heard about what happened to him. Before he could entertain that thought, he found out the truth quickly enough upon turning the corner and stopping short of the person standing just outside Leo's room.

Zapp stood with his hands shoved into his pockets looking down intently at the door's knob as if he was trying to open it with his mind if he stared at it hard enough. Zed also noted the blinds to Leo's room were closed so they couldn't see in. Eventually Zapp seemed to realize there was someone else there with him and he finally tore his attention away from the door and saw Zed looking visibly surprised.

"What are _you_ lookin' at Fish Sticks?" Zapp quipped ignoring the merman's shock. Zed recovered quickly enough and replied, disregarding yet another intended insult in the form of a nickname.

"I'm just surprised to see you here. I thought you said you weren't worried about—" Zapp quickly cut him off.

"I _ain't_ worried about him!" He insisted brusquely. "My usual plans just fell through and I was hungry. Then I remembered that the cafeteria in this dump gave free food to visitors of patients so I came for a free meal. Unfortunately I have to actually visit the shithead before I ate otherwise it'd look suspicious," Zapp justified offhandedly averting his gaze from the fish-man hybrid. Zed wasn't sure how to process the reasoning of his obviously fabricated excuse (not to mention taking notice of the subtle grease stains and leftover crumbs on the front of his black shirt) but nevertheless decided to humor him.

"I see. Shall we go in and see him then?" Zapp grumbled some answer under his breath and turned back to the door to twist the knob and enter. Zed watched him, feeling the corners of his mouth perk up with a faint smile at the transparency of his senior pupil and colleague before he too entered into the room. However he was again stopped short after nearly bumping into Zapp who stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the doorway staring wide-eyed into the room. Zed turned his head to see why and froze. Leo's bed was empty and neatly made as if nobody had been there and the medical equipment had been shut off and put away. Panic slowly gripped the two as they tried to provide some sort of believable excuse.

"Are you sure this is the right room? The one Patrick and K.K. visited?" Zed asked looking to Zapp.

"Yes I'm sure!" Zapp snapped. "I asked the front to double check just in case and even if I was wrong you showed up here too didn't you?" Zed had to give him that but it didn't ease the tension at all. Before they could contemplate any potentially devastating conclusions, Dr. Estevez's shrunken clone peered into the room and approached them having been drawn by their raised voices.

"Please keep your voices down. People are trying to rest," she scolded despite taking notice of the duo's panic and dread.

"Dr. Estevez, where is Leo?" Zed asked tentatively. Now understanding their concerns, her stern expression softened a bit.

"Leonardo is fine. He's still comatose but his condition is considered lower risk now and his injuries were healing well so we moved him out of ICU and into recovery only about an hour ago. We hadn't yet had a chance to update anyone and didn't think anyone would be in to visit him today," she informed. Almost instantly the two Big Dipper Style users felt relief replace their former panic and they let out simultaneous breaths they didn't know they were holding.

"What room is he in?" Zed followed up.

"Room 251. You can get there through the corridor here, down the hall to your left and through the second set of double doors but please be sure to keep your voices down." The two nodded in understanding and thanked her before leaving for their destination. Eventually they arrived in front of Leo's new room and entered where sure enough they found said member still unconscious and hooked up to an IV, EKG and pulse monitor that beeped rhythmically. The room itself was no longer as pristine as the walls of the ICU but was still immaculate even as ivy and vines coated them in a healthy dose of vegetation. Zapp and Zed approached the bed halfway to get a better look at Leo's condition. True to her word, Leo's injuries were much lighter than they saw last time.

More of his bruises had faded to the point that they were almost barely noticeable unless you looked closely though some were still starkly evident on his skin as were most of the stitches from his wounds and incisions. A healthy amount of color had returned to his face but was still a bit pale while bandages were still wrapped around his eyes and other lingering cuts. His breathing was much deeper and steadier than last time as a breathing tube replaced his oxygen mask that fed a healthy flow of oxygen into his lungs through his nose and his arm and leg were still in their sling and cast.

"He does indeed look a lot better doesn't he?" Zed said feeling slightly more at ease. Zapp only grunted halfheartedly in affirmation as he studied Leo closely. The constant aggravation he had felt for the past several days seemed to finally abate and an inexplicable feeling of placidity replaced it. Zed took close notice of this and felt the smallest twinge of amusement. Leave it to Leo to keep Zapp in check, even when unconscious. Zed's amusement faded a bit though when his yellow eyes trailed over the particular injury Leo sustained to his eyes and his mind flashed back to the horrors Leo endured by the hands of not just the ruthless Elder Blood Breed but the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur as well.

Being in such a dismal situation must have been both terrifying and lonely, not knowing whether he would die there or if anyone would find him. Zed knew what that was like; when the Count that had created him had left him behind and again when he had his breathing pods stolen. His master had been the one to save him in that first instance but Leo…When he had come to following passing out from the combination of exhaustion and shock from being left in Libra's care, Leo had been the first friendly face he met. He had been kind and respectful, a stark contrast to Zapp during their initial meeting, and tried to make him feel as comfortable as he could in Libra. Honestly, at first he didn't know why Leo was even in Libra, All-Seeing Eyes or not. Living in such a city and taking part in such dangerous activities didn't suit someone like Leo and for a while Zed couldn't understand it. But then Zapp of all people stood up for him and set him straight during the second Great Collapse and seeing the lengths Leo was willing to go through to help his friends during said event only proved the man's point further.

" _We're Libra you idiot. Nothing breaks our resolve, not a damn thing. And that ordinary, normal kid is part of our team_." Zapp hadn't been wrong; Leo may not have the combat abilities the rest of them did, but he had the resolve. If he didn't, he never would have held out and came through in time to provide the one thing that helped put an end to the King of Pain and his ambitions. And it wasn't just during major instances either. He recalled what Gilbert had informed him of when his breathing pods were taken from him by the two men/cyborgs, how it had been Leo originally who set out to track down the pair in hopes of retrieving them solely for the reason so that he could be included in the New Year's party instead of stuck in his tank until they could be replaced. He had been so taken aback by the lengths not just he, but even Chain and Zapp had gone to in order to help him that he couldn't even articulate how grateful he felt. The best he had done was treat Leo to a nice lunch with his own money from his origami performances in the park but it still didn't feel like enough. Zed clenched his webbed fists. Having comrades, _friends_ , it was something he had come to treasure despite being different and this time, it was _his_ turn to show some resolve. When Leo awoke, he would make a better effort in returning the favor of his kindness to him.

Zed studied Leo for a moment longer before letting his gaze glance around the room. That was when something occurred to him.

"Didn't Steven, K.K., Patrick, and Neyka say that Sonic had been staying by Leo's side during his recovery?" Zapp looked to him curiously, brow arched slightly in questioning.

"Yeah?"

"So then where exactly is he?" Zapp glanced around the room for any sign of the little primate but did not see him. Unconcerned however, Zapp merely shrugged.

"Probably had to take a shit or something. Can't imagine staying in one place watching over a sleeping bag of pubes is good entertainment." Zed let out an exasperated huff and glared at him.

"Must you be so crude?" he scolded lightly. In spite of thinking that Zapp may have had a point in Sonic needing to take a break to tend to some necessary needs, he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong about the situation. "I'm going to ask around and check if someone has seen him." Zed proceeded towards the door before quickly looking back to him. "Will you stay and keep an eye on Leo just in case?" Zapp rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he replied disinterestedly before plopping down in one of the chairs close to the hospital bed. Satisfied, Zed exited and closed the door gently behind him. The sound of Zed's footsteps faded down the hall and Zapp turned his attention back to the unresponsive Leo. He leaned back in the padded chair and folded his arms as he tried to relax. His formerly placid manner was starting to shift into a subtle unease and he tried to focus on anything else in the room as a result but his gaze kept falling back onto Leo. He recalled the words of Zed and Vivian from earlier that day and another spark of irritation flared up causing him to let out an annoyed growl under his breath.

"Stupid, helpless, sad sack of a—" Before Zapp could continue his small tirade, a small, involuntary jerk of Leo's body halted Zapp right in his tracks. On instinct, Zapp shot out of his chair and took a preemptive step forward to be ready to act and waited for anything else to happen. When nothing did, Zapp's tense body relaxed and he let out a sigh before he realized what he had done. With a vexed scoff he sat back down in his seat refolding his arms and slouched back trying to play it off when this time K.K.'s disembodied voice rang through his mind.

" _Oh please, anyone with one eye can see that you really do care about him. So quit with the posturing_." His scowl deepened and his fingertips dug into his upper arms. He'd be damned if he'd be caught caring about anyone else beside himself. It would make him seem…vulnerable. And if he was vulnerable, that could be exploited, and with life or death stakes, that was something he couldn't afford (both for the sake of his pride and for whatever small conscience he had). That was one of the few good lessons that old buzzard of a master had at least taught him back during his time learning the Kagutsuchi style of the Big Dipper Blood Technique. He didn't endure years of torturous hell just to be labeled as some wimp. He wasn't some softie; he wasn't like Leo. His grip on his arms loosened up a bit and his scowl fell slightly when he thought back to what Leo had endured.

No, Leo may be vulnerable and a big softie but he wasn't a (complete) wimp. When he thought back to their initial meeting following mistaking him for that clown Johnny Landis and hearing his story, he had thought the turd was a coward and a scumbag but upon seeing how far he would go to achieve his goal and getting to know him, he had come to realize that he had been wrong about him (as much as he didn't want to admit it). Leo had the guts and the drive to back up whatever decision he made or action he took despite his normally timid nature and he had proved it a number of times. And despite his usual douchey actions and tendencies towards him, Leo always stuck by his side and _maybe_ helped him out once or twice in turn. But just because he felt like he had a job to do or a favor to repay didn't mean he cared about the kid of course! He was just ensuring his own interests! Just because he got pissed when that bloodsucking piece of shit Blood Breed and his curse nearly killed the brat and almost screwed them all over didn't mean he was weak! He retaliated as hard as he did because no one fucks with Libra! Just because he felt aggravated and on edge because Leo wouldn't fucking wake up and they could all move on didn't mean…Zapp's line of thought trailed off and he let out a sigh before he glanced back up to Leo. Like clockwork, another reminder of Leo writhing and coughing up blood ran through his mind and a small twinge of pity twisted in the pit of his stomach before he forced it deep down.

"Dammit, this _so_ isn't like me," Zapp muttered under his breath. Zed came back into the room and his formerly somber expression quickly shifted back into a distant indifference as he looked to the merman appearing almost bored.

"No one says they saw anything," Zed reported entering the room once more.

"Relax, I'm sure the monkey is fine," Zapp replied with minor exasperation. Zed appeared thoughtful but didn't seem entirely convinced as something still felt off. Before he could voice his concerns however did the door open and an attending human nurse peek her head into the room.

"I'm sorry you two but I'm afraid visiting hours for Mr. Watch are over for the day and we need to ask you to leave so we can tend to him in just a bit. But you're welcome to return tomorrow to visit him again." Slightly dispirited by the news, Zed nodded while Zapp looked noticeably dissatisfied.

"Of course miss," Zed replied respectfully. "We'll leave momentarily." She nodded in understanding and shut the door to wait outside and give them a bit more privacy. The two sighed and Zapp got up from the chair once more to stretch his arms above his head.

"Welp, I did my community service for the day. Time for some grub," Zapp quipped nonchalantly causing Zed, who had been focused on Leo to check him over one last time, to redirect his attention and send him a stern glare.

"You really are quite insensitive, you know that?"

"Oh cry me a river Bait Breath," Zapp retorted as Zed turned to exit the room and Zapp followed promptly behind him. Just before Zapp exited fully through the doorway did he glance back momentarily to study Leo one last time and his formerly repressed pity surged back.

"You better not die shit-for-brains, otherwise I'll never let you live it down," Zapp mumbled before turning to follow Zed out and shutting the door behind him. Maybe he did care…just a little bit, not that anyone would ever know.

Within ten seconds of the door closing and the sounds of all nearby footsteps fading away, a familiar female rematerialized in Leo's room leaping down from her crouched position on top of the countertop and sink combination supply station near the far wall opposite of Leo's bed. Chain's gaze lingered on the door, mildly intrigued by what she had witnessed from Zapp during her stake out in Leo's room when they had first entered. She had actually debated on whether or not she should pull her usual stunt of planting both feet onto the back of Zapp's head as payback for what had happened before and upon hearing his initial complaint towards Leo but changed her mind when she saw how he reacted when Leo involuntarily spasmed and decided to cut him a break for once.

"Hmph, guess even shit-eating monkeys can have a heart…albeit a small one," she mused to herself before turning her attention back to Leo in the hospital bed. She approached almost hesitantly to get a better look at him. Zed had been right; Leo looked mercifully better than last time. Not a hundred percent, but definitely better. Some of her unease melted away but she still felt a touch of discontent thinking back to how the past events played out.

Being an Invisible Werewolf came with severe risks. The ability to dilute one's very existence was a useful but also dangerous capability, one could lose themselves so completely they could fade out of existence. Chain had always been someone who knew those risks and her own limits and was skilled and careful enough to not have to worry too much about them though even she had gotten close once or twice (were it not for her personal cipher that anchored her to reality during her latest near miss with Velved Rheinkeimer, she would have likely fallen victim to the same fate, not that the oblivious Steven was even aware of his role in that matter). When someone's existence was already so very fragile it was only natural she seemed to come off as indifferent or even a bit cruel towards others. But in reality, she cared a lot more than most people realized.

When Leo had been mugged by that pig-headed tourist creep and his little sidekick, she had just so happened to be passing by. She had considered to stop and help him but due to her usual aloof nature and not wanting to get involved had decided to let Leo take care of it himself. However, after a few minutes she doubled back to at least make sure he was okay and instead she saw him badly beaten and stumbling away as he sulked about having his money stolen (money she had later learned was for his sister). She felt anger and guilt churn her stomach and she made the decision to track the two men down and retrieve what was taken from him. While she did get back what was taken from Leo and returning it in the most inconspicuous manner she could by sticking it in the back of his sweatshirt's collar, she still felt mildly guilty about not stepping in sooner. She thought she had managed to redeem herself when Zed's breathing apparatus was stolen but this event with the King of Pain had reminded her of just how powerless she could actually be sometimes.

Not just once, but twice she had tried to protect Leo but even with her skills she failed. The guilt and frustration at being easily subdued twice by the same enemy, Blood Breed or not, was aggravating. Even though things ended as well as they could have it did not ease those feelings as she still felt upset at being able to do so little during the course of the incident. It occurred to her then in a twisted case of irony that this is probably how Leo felt during most of their operations and her lips twitched into a wry, humorless smirk before it fell back into a neutral frown. She had to wonder how Leo, someone who has a formidable but sometimes impractical ability (especially in terms of combat much like herself), could not run away either in the most dangerous of circumstances or the most minor of altercations. Wasn't it just easier to avoid it in the first place with those eyes of his? Why did he feel like he always had to get involved even when it hurt or endangered him? It was something she both respected and detested because as much as she didn't always let it show, she cared about him (and everyone else in Libra for that matter, though Zapp was up for debate). He was like a little brother to the team _and_ to her and she didn't mind his company at all when they interacted and had friendly discussions or even when she overhears or discreetly watches his arguments, gaming sessions and other "guy stuff" with Zapp and Zed. She tried to regain some distance for the sake of her own principals but before she knew it, she found herself watching over him more and more in her diluted form than she had previously even though he was largely unaware of it. And while she had no real desire to inform him of that particular detail, maybe she should reconsider how she interacts with him better in the future.

The sounds of footfalls were heard as they approached Leo's room. On instinct Chain diluted herself to where she was once more invisible to anyone who would enter. She expected it to be one of the doctors or nurses coming to tend to Leo like she had overheard before and did not want to leave just yet. However instead of seeing a nurse in scrubs when the door opened, she saw what appeared to be a human male in a disheveled, white lab coat and surgical mask covering his face rolling in a service cart with a sheet draped over it. Chain eyed them suspiciously as the man closed the door behind him and her suspicions were confirmed when the first man tapped on the cart and another more muscular male crawled out from under the sheet and stood up with noticeable, bleeding scratches on his face and arms and a disgruntled frown.

"Couldn't believe how easy that was," the man in the lab coat commented pulling down his mask revealing a sinister smile.

"Speak for yourself," the other man retorted. "You weren't the one hiding under a cramped metal cart and scratched all to hell by that damn monkey we had to lock up after waiting for the drugs to kick in."

"Regardless, at least it all went off without a hitch, even if we did have to wait a few days for the right opportunity," the first male replied as he propped a chair under the door handle and the service cart right against it locking the wheels in place to create a makeshift barricade. Chain observed them warily, internally debating whether or not she should jump in right away or wait and see what else happens. The two unknown men then turned to the unconscious Leo and a devious grin finally made its way onto the muscular man's face.

"Guess the boss was right about the kid's condition. This will be the easiest job yet. And with Libra preoccupied with cleaning up the remnants from that terrorist group they won't even be aware we've taken their biggest advantage from them." The man in the lab coat smirked and pulled out a large hunting knife from the sheath hidden under his coat and grinned devilishly.

"Good thing he's in a coma, that way we don't have to worry about him making too much noise as we cut his eyes out. Think we should pull the plug when we're done to show him some mercy or just let him bleed out?" The muscular man snorted.

"Don't be stupid, we don't have that kind of time to carve out his eyes…" the muscular man stopped and leaned down to feel around under the cart before pulling out a cadaver saw and turning back to his partner. "Let's just cut his head off and bring it back with us. Once we pry the eyes out we can mail the head back to Libra as a gift," he suggested darkly with a wicked chuckle followed by the other man. Chain had heard enough and a look of fury ran across her face. Without another thought she plunged her diluted hands into their chests, grasping their hearts tightly with each hand, not hard enough to crush them but enough to painfully restrict them. Both men immediately stopped cackling and looks of shock, confusion, pain and fear swirled on their faces as they gasped and dropped their respective weapons with a metallic clank on the linoleum. Chain undiluted a portion of her head and face so that they could see and hear her.

"Touch him and even this hospital and its doctors won't be able to save you," she growled menacingly. The two men turned their heads to glance over their shoulders at the speaker and upon seeing the disturbing sight of a partially diluted Chain whose face was warped with rage, she constricted her hold on both hearts briefly and the two men let out strangled whimpers before falling unconscious. Chain pulled her phased arms out of the two men's chests and they collapsed to the ground in a heap as she fully rematerialized. Unsure and uncaring if they were dead or not, Chain promptly pulled out her cell phone and unlocked it to contact Steven. If she wanted to make things up to Leo, whether because of her own guilt or the fact that she cared for the wellbeing of the young man, this seemed like the best place to start. The phone rang as she held it up to her ear before Steven promptly answered.

"Steven, it's Chain. We have a problem."  
_

To say Steven was livid was nothing short of an understatement. Though he did his best to not let it show on the outside, inwardly he was seething! While the assassination attempt on Leo was thankfully thwarted by Chain (who had also managed to successfully locate and free Sonic from the confines of a locked storage trunk), he was furious at not only the bastards who had made the attempt on Leo's life but at himself for not properly following up on Klaus' concerns by taking better precautions. The only positive thing about this near mishap was that Dr. Estevez had managed to resuscitate the two thugs after having been informed by Chain what had nearly taken place in her hospital and they had been taken into custody where they could be interrogated and punished. Despite how unnervingly calm and even she sounded on the phone, Steven could tell that Dr. Estevez was more than a little displeased at the breach of security and attempt on one of her patients. However a bigger concern now presented itself. According to what Chain had overheard, it seemed as if the two men had been tasked with this job by someone who had knowledge on Leo's connection with Libra and about the All-Seeing Eyes. After mulling it over a bit, Steven made the decision not to inform anyone of what nearly transpired, _especially_ Klaus. The team didn't need the extra stress and were on edge enough as it was without this new information and if Klaus found out he would no doubt forgo his promise at recovery in lieu of taking matters into his own hands. However this left the question of how exactly to proceed next in with dealing with this new development.

Steven set his phone down on his desk and leaned back in the chair tapping a finger on the wooden surface as contemplated the best course of action. First thing was first, he had to set up a stricter watch on Leo's new room now that he was moved to an area with easier public access since there was a very good possibility whoever was responsible for the assassination attempt would try again. But even if they didn't, Steven couldn't ignore the fact that someone had that sensitive information about Libra's connection to him and the All-Seeing Eyes and lord knows if it got leaked to anyone else. This matter was serious and needed to be dealt with quickly but unfortunately with himself acting as temporary leader and not wanting to alert or expose the others to this potential risk, he couldn't deal with the issue himself or through normal means. So that only left one real option.

The scar-faced man sat back upright in his chair and grabbed his phone off his desk before typing in the number for his personal task force. He waited for his contact on the other line to answer the call and after a few rings he did.

"Hello?"

"It's me," Steven began calmly. "Listen, I have an important task for you that's going to require a bit of digging and getting your hands dirty. There's been a breach of information regarding a member of Libra and I need you to track down who was responsible and how."

"Understood," the smooth male voice on the other end replied. "And what would you like us to do once we find that information?" Steven thought for a moment before responding.

"Neutralize but don't terminate. You might want to start with two men who were recently taken into custody by the HLPD from Bradbury General Hospital. Report back immediately after you deal with the damage control regarding the leaked information and detain those responsible. I want to meet them _personally_ to make sure they understand exactly how badly they screwed up. Though feel free to punish them properly if they prove difficult. I'll send the name of our operative to you shortly."

"Understood sir. I'll contact you again once our task is complete." With that, Steven ended the call and messaged his contact Leo's name and waited a few restless moments before he received the confirmation message. He then dialed Brigade and Anila as well as Dr. Estevez to set up a plan of action regarding Leo's protection and care. An agreement was quickly established and Steven tried to let the matter rest for the time being and returned to his paperwork. Though as he tried to focus he couldn't help but feel strangely dissatisfied and tense though chalked it up to the added workload. Within a matter of hours as Steven was completing some last minute files he finally received a text message from his contact listing only an address. His tension dissipated slightly as he understood the meaning of the message and smirked. He quickly finished up the last of the paperwork before standing up and straightening his suit. He replied to the message telling them good work before announcing he was on his way. Without waiting for a response he pocketed the phone and headed for the door eager to have a nice, long chat with the ones responsible and unaware of a few sparse ice crystals that trailed behind each footstep he took closer to the door.

After the anticipated "meeting" and "discussion" and reaching a favorable conclusion, Steven finally made his way home later that evening in slightly better spirits. It had turned out that the group that had put out the hit on Leo was the small time remnants of a group of heavily armed thugs Libra had helped disband after the more dangerous of the bunch were "subdued" during their previous mission at the Gauccione Mansion some time ago. Apparently wanting revenge on how quickly their group was dissected and taken down they started some surveillance on the weakest looking member (i.e. Leo) and only found out about his eyes by pure coincidence when Leo had used them to protect himself during another operation but not knowing exactly what they were, only that they were likely valuable. Though because they lacked the manpower and influence they had formerly possessed it had been difficult for them to act until recently and more importantly, it turned out that thankfully no one else had been informed of Leo's connection with Libra or that he possessed the All-Seeing Eyes. After some "persuasion" on Steven's part the blubbering party swore that they would keep their mouths shut and Steven left the "cleanup" to his task force after thanking them for their assistance.

While Steven was satisfied with the outcome it did not take away from the perturbation of how an outside party could target their members so easily. Not to say that Leo was the only person that has been targeted, almost everyone in Libra has been at one point, even himself, but it always seemed much more dire when it came to Leo. After all, aside from his eyes he had no real way of defending himself and Libra would lose so much more than just a member if anything were to happen to him and his eyes. In retrospect he supposed it was a bit…cold (pardon the pun) of him but Steven had always been a realistic man. He sighed from the lingering unease and exhaustion that suddenly descended onto him as he turned the key to unlock his front door. After stepping through the front door into his luxurious apartment, he was met with the clanking of dishes and light splashing of water coming from his kitchen. His Alterworldly housekeeper Veded turned from her task of washing dishes and greeted him with a smile.

"Welcome home sir," she greeted pleasantly. She was a portly orange Alterworldly woman with a downward sloping mouth and floppy ear-like protrusions with black tips and hoof-like hands wearing a green smock and white apron and head rag. Reflexively Steven returned the friendly smile with a small one of his own and nodded wordlessly in appreciation as he glanced around the apartment.

"The place looks great as usual Veded. Thanks for your hard work," he replied as she scrubbed a plate in the soapy water and rinsed it. That was when his gaze landed on a platter of her prepared roast beef that he always enjoyed. "You even cooked? You didn't have to go through the extra trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," she replied finishing the last plate and placing it in the drying rack before draining the sink and removing her yellow cleaning gloves. "You've seemed a bit more stressed lately so I thought I'd help by giving you a good meal so you can rest a bit easier." Steven's neutral smile fell and his expression changed into mild surprise for a brief second before relaxing into a more genuine smirk of amusement. He had forgotten that she was quite adept at reading people.

"Well, I guess you could say that," Steven admitted scratching his cheek a bit distractedly. "Work has been a bit difficult lately since my boss has taken some time off and we've been down another man due to…medical reasons," he admitted vaguely as a grim frown replaced his formerly pleased countenance. Concern crossed her features and her brow furrowed in worry.

"Goodness I hope it's nothing serious." Steven didn't respond but the way his frown deepened slightly already told her all that she needed to know. Feeling a bit guilty at the change in his disposition, she fumbled out an apology but Steven snapped his attention back to her and shook his head.

"It's alright, no harm done," Steven assured trying to play it off with a weak grin. "He's receiving excellent care but the morale at our office has been a little low as a result," Steven explained. The kind Beyondian woman nodded in understanding.

"I can imagine," she replied. "Your coworker must be someone you and your office care a great deal for if you're so concerned like this." Once more, Steven's expression changed from cool and collected to a mixture of surprise and bemusement. He considered his housekeeper's words for a moment before the wall clock struck 9:00 pm drawing both of their attentions.

"Geeze, I didn't realize what time it was," Steven said sounding mildly taken aback. "Sorry to keep you here so late Veded, I'll be sure to pay you extra for the trouble."

"Again it's no trouble sir," Veded assured as she removed her apron and head rag and headed for the front to put her coat and knit cap on and grab her purse. Steven handed Veded her payment as he saw her out. "Have a good night Mr. Starphase," she said with a small bow of her head.

"You too," he responded with a small wave before turning to head back inside before she stopped and briefly hesitated before calling out to him to get his attention. "Mr. Starphase." Steven stopped to look at her questioningly. "It might not be my place to say this, but perhaps you should visit your coworker. Who knows, it might be good for the both of you." He let the suggestion sink in, looking a bit thoughtful as Veded took that as her cue to leave. When she disappeared around the corner, Steven went back inside and sighed rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the piece of advice Veded had given him. Maybe he _should_ check up on Leo just so that he could personally get an update on the boy and make sure the precautions he took were put into place effectively if nothing else. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and messaged Dr. Estevez about stopping by for an update the next day before heading to the kitchen to grab a plate and enjoy the delicious meal provided by Veded and a glass of wine to help him relax.  
Steven woke up early the next day with a message from Dr. Estevez that he could stop by later in the afternoon. Content with the arrangement, the Esmerelda Blood Freeze user got ready for the day and proceeded to the Office to get as much of the day's work as he could done. The hours went by faster than he expected and around 2:00 pm the second in command Libra member found himself walking through the double doors of the hospital where one of Dr. Estevez's clones and Magra de Grana waited for him. They greeted each other with a handshake and briefly bowed his head respectfully to the Alterworldly hospital director.

"I see your limp is gone now," the shrunken doctor commented taking note of his lengthy strides towards them. Steven smiled pleasantly and nodded in agreement.

"I suppose there was something good that came out being stuck at a desk and off my feet nearly all week," he remarked coolly. Returning the good-natured joke with a small grin she turned and motioned for Steven to follow them down the corridors to which he complied.

"I'd like to thank you for being so accommodating with the measures concerning Leo's protection Director De Grana," Steven began.

"If it's for the safety of our patients it's hardly a bother," he replied without looking back as he hopped down the hall. "However, you have to understand some of the measures you suggested were a bit unreasonable like vetting certain staff exclusively for young Leonardo's care or allowing additional armed personnel to patrol the hospital, even discreetly. Despite your good intentions it might distress other patients if they were to notice something amiss and we don't want to take specialists away that are needed to care for other patients."

"That's fair," Steven admitted.

"However stationing someone within the room at all times under the guise of a guest is an acceptable compromise especially given the delicate circumstances of what nearly transpired yesterday," Magra continued. Steven barely suppressed a wince and spark of irritation at the reminder though his expression remained pleasantly calm.

"And someone is currently stationed in his room at this time?" Steven verified.

"Yes," Dr. Estevez replied as they passed by the cafeteria doors on their way towards the recovery wing. "A woman from your agency has been watching over Leonardo for the past few hours. Curly, black hair pulled into a bun, glasses, dark skin, business casual."

"Anila," Steven confirmed with a nod. "The next member should be by later to take over though I would like to stop by for a bit to check up on him for myself."

"Of course," Magra de Grana responded. Before they could proceed further, a Beyondian nurse with pink skin and compound eyes approached them hurriedly causing them to stop.

"I apologize for interrupting sir but you have an urgent phone call at the nurse's station," she spoke looking to the hospital director.

"Ah yes, I'll be there shortly," Magra replied before she promptly left. "Duty calls it seems. Please inform Miss Estevez or myself should you need anything further."

"I will and thank you again," Steven replied cordially before the Alterworldly medical professional quickly hopped away. The shrunken clone of Dr. Estevez glanced to her wristwatch and took notice of the time.

"I apologize as well Mr. Starphase but it appears that it is time to start my rounds so I won't be able to accompany you to Leonardo's room."

"That's all right," Steven assured. "I can find my way there." She nodded in response.

"If anything comes up just ask a nurse to page me," she said before turning on her heels and heading through a set of double doors opposite of the ones leading to recovery. Steven was about to head towards the recovery wing when the faint, alluring smell of something cooking wafted down the hall from the cafeteria. Realizing he hadn't really eaten since breakfast, Steven debated whether or not he should grab something quick to eat before heading to Leo's room but caved when he also picked up the distinct smell of roasted coffee beans. Unable to resist the enticing smells, Steven backtracked a bit to quickly grab a turkey sandwich, banana nut muffin and cup of the wonderful, caffeinated liquid for a quick lunch before once more proceeding towards Leo's hospital room. He arrived in front of the room and entered through to see Anila seated in one of the room's padded chairs with one leg crossed over the other flipping through a stack of papers from her satchel that leaned against the wall next to her chair evidently getting some work done while she waited. She glanced up from her task to see Steven and spoke.

"Hello Mr. Starphase," she greeted in her usual professional manner. Steven took notice of the slightly fatigued and frazzled state she was in.

"Afternoon," he returned with his usual small, pleasant smile. "How long have you been here?"

"About six hours or so," she replied rubbing her tired eyes under her glasses and Steven hummed in acknowledgement before he took a sip of his coffee.

"Why don't you go and take a break. You look like you could use the pick-me-up, I know I did," he said gesturing to the cup grasped in his hand. "I can take over until you get back." Anila looked a bit thoughtful but nevertheless gathered her things together.

"If you're sure. I actually _could_ use a break to stretch my legs," she said standing and slinging the satchel over her shoulder. "I'll be back shortly."

"Take your time," Steven replied as she walked past him and left through the door and closed it gently behind her. After she had left, Steven turned his attention to Leo who still lay unconscious in the hospital bed. Sonic was there as well resting on the pillow beside Leo's head. Though as if sensing the ice user's presence, Sonic slowly awoke with mild alarm to scope out his surroundings (likely still on edge about before) and his large eyes fell on Steven. Recognizing the man as no threat, Sonic relaxed and chirped in greeting before stretching and making himself comfortable on the pillow once more, snuggling up closer to the side of Leo's head to try and doze off again. Steven felt a small smile form at the sight as he approached the chair on the right side of Leo's bed opposite of where Anila sat against the wall away from the beeping medical equipment. He set down his plastic-wrapped sandwich and muffin and carefully placed his coffee on the small counter beside Leo's bed closest to his chair before he turned to approach the comatose lad to get a better look at his condition.

Leo appeared just as Chain described and took subtle relief in the fact that he was healing well. Steven took a few steps back to sit in his seat and sighed staring blankly ahead at the comatose Leo. He honestly wasn't really sure what to have expected by doing this. It wasn't like he doubted Dr. Estevez's care and medical skills and trusted that the best-case scenario would occur eventually. But there was still that niggling possibility in the back of his mind, _what if he didn't_?

Well, operationally that was simple: they would take a devastating hit. Leo's eyes had become a valuable and useful asset for Libra. Not just for their usual operations but against Blood Breeds especially. If they lost Leo and his eyes, taking down Blood Breeds would become exceedingly more difficult, just like _before_. Steven recalled with perfect clarity how much they all secretly dreaded whenever they would get a call about a Blood Breed sighting before Leo came along because it usually meant that they were all going to require a trip to the hospital to recover from their extensive wounds and blood loss just from wearing the damn thing down enough to where their regenerative abilities could not catch up to their accumulated injuries or simply chasing them away, forget even sealing them. Thankfully they hadn't run into too many Elders but even lower ranking ones always managed to get several of their men killed. Then Leo came along and suddenly they were taking down Blood Breeds with so much more ease and efficiency and of course with far less bloodshed. Honestly, Steven felt the tiniest bit of jealousy and inferiority when he had first heard about the All-Seeing Eyes' capability from Abrams following his and K.K.'s clash with that pink-haired vampire and her newly turned minion in the subway tunnels less than a year ago (since he was so out of it from his severe injuries to really understand what happened at the time). Though that wasn't to say he had any kind of animosity towards the young man. On the contrary, he had come to develop an almost unspoken respect and liking to the lad.

He had to admit that despite trusting in Klaus' judgment at the time, he had his doubts about Leo's joining of Libra initially. After all, All-Seeing Eyes or not, the kid didn't really have much in the ways of combat skills and even living in this city was considered dangerous never mind _protecting_ it. That, coupled with the fact that if anyone were to find out about him and his eyes he would likely become a walking target, concerned him and his suspicions were proven right when not even a few days later Leo had been taken hostage by those Alterworldly human smugglers and their illusionary technology. Though instead of quitting like he had thought he would do, Leo toughed it out even after ending up in the hospital on several occasions and as more time passed Steven found his doubts beginning to dissipate little by little no matter what circumstances Leo found himself in, regardless of whatever misgivings he may have had at the time.

" _The way he runs headlong into danger like that kind of reminds me of someone_ ," K.K.'s teasing voice rang in Steven's mind causing Steven to smirk as he recalled how he could have sworn he saw Klaus in Leo's place for a brief moment as he ran through the chaos that was the second Great Collapse. Honestly he couldn't have agreed more. Leo came through it to assist Libra in their successes and objectives no matter the obstacles even when he almost expected him not to and nowhere was that more evident then during this ordeal with the King of Pain. Steven paused and his mind retraced over the course of events as his smirk fell.

"Maybe we've come to rely almost _too much_ on his eyes now," Steven thought to himself as he recalled Leo's difficulty in the beginning when at the mall and their high-stakes showdown in the Alterworld, and subsequently how much Leo suffered during the course of the Maledictum's awakening. A small wave of sympathy briefly washed over him at that particular memory and settled uncomfortably in his gut along with his hunger. Being reminded of the latter and looking to distract himself from the sensation, Steven glanced over to his acquired snack and grabbed the banana nut muffin. He undid the plastic that protected the pastry causing Sonic to stir and sniff the air, eventually locking his gaze onto Steven when he took a bite. Though Steven was too distracted to notice anything else until Sonic actually scampered over to him and hopped up onto his knee. Surprised and confused by the formerly aloof simian's sudden closeness, Steven raised a brow in silent inquiry but upon catching how Sonic's eyes glanced from him to the muffin and back to him did he understand what Sonic wanted. Letting out a humorless huff, he smirked again and tore off a chunk of muffin and held it out for the little monkey. With a gleeful chitter, Sonic took the offered food and swiftly stuffed the whole thing into his mouth before bounding back over onto Leo's bed content.

"Nice to know you bounced back so quickly after your experience yesterday," Steven quipped teasingly to Sonic who just glanced at him while he chewed and swallowed. That was when something occurred to him and he almost laughed out loud at the irony.

Most people (except for Klaus and Veded) had a hard time reading him through his calm, collected and often times detached façade as often times it made him seem cold or distant in spite of his neutral pleasantness (perhaps that was partially why K.K. disliked him?). Though the reality was that sometimes, letting others get too close hurts worse than keeping them away and it can leave you with scars that can never truly heal. Steven absentmindedly traced the scar on the left side of his face at that sentiment. He was then reminded of the last time he let his guard down around others when he thought he had befriended Ellen and Larry and their many acquaintances. For a while he let himself believe that he had made some genuine friendships until he caught onto their true intentions, eventually foiling their plans in taking him alive for their boss to get to Libra. He always knew that was just part of the risks in their line of work but it still stung more than he liked to admit (though Veded's surprising appearance with her children after the fact had helped soften the blow a bit). He sometimes had to wonder how Leo dealt with it so well.

Despite his usually indifferent though courteous disposition, Leo would still seek him out or confide some things in him and so when Steven had asked Leo about what exactly happened when he had gone missing prior to the second Great Collapse, he told him about how Mary Macbeth and the King of Despair that controlled William Macbeth's body conspired against him for the use of his eyes. However what almost shocked Steven more was that Leo held no real ill well towards Mary or William even if they had _wanted_ to do so with malicious intent rather than being forced to make a desperate decision and he seemingly didn't even need to think twice about it. The fact that Leo could still be open and trusting of others, could be humane and compassionate and forgive and forget even when they _did_ hurt him, was something else Steven admired and even felt a little bit jealous of. This experience will likely leave the kid with some pretty nasty scars, whether they be physical or mental or perhaps both it was hard to say. But if he knew Leo as well as he liked to think he had, maybe the kid would be okay. And if the young man could fight against a soul-binding curse and the Elder Class Blood Breed that hurt him, then what was _his_ excuse? Again, Steven traced the scar on his face. No, not all scars can be healed, but eventually they can stop hurting.

"Who'd have thought it would take the actions of a Blood Breed to put these kinds of things into perspective," Steven mumbled with a dry chuckle before he finished the rest of his muffin. About fifteen minutes later once Steven had also eaten his sandwich and drank his now lukewarm coffee, Anila returned with her own coffee in hand looking a little bit more composed though still relatively tired.

"I needed that more than I thought I did," she said. "Thank you for stepping in momentarily Mr. Starphase. I can take over again if you have more tasks to complete back at the Office." Steven thought about it for a bit and glanced to his watch.

"I suppose I _should_ head back to make sure things are okay," Steven agreed getting to his feet. "Brigade should be by within the next hour or two to relieve you for the day but if he doesn't show contact me." Anila nodded in understanding and resumed her post by Leo's side and Steven turned to leave but stopped to promptly turn back to her. "And Anila." She cast him a curious glance. "Be sure to get some rest tonight. If you need to take the day off to get the rest of your work done I'm sure we can find someone to cover you tomorrow." Visibly shocked by the unusually earnest request, she could only nod again in understanding. Steven gave his usual pleasant smile before casting the young bedridden member one last look before actually leaving the room. Each step that took him down the hall felt a bit lighter than it previously had in a while and as Steven exited the building he could only think about what Veded had told him the night before with an amused grin. It seemed she had been right yet again.  
_

After an entire week of restlessness and inactivity from his strict bed rest (at least whenever Gilbert or someone from his team wasn't checking up on him after being caught doing some miniscule tasks), Klaus' injuries were healed and he could not take sitting around any longer. After a quick checkup by Gilbert, the now fully recovered man found himself tapping a finger impatiently on his thigh staring absentmindedly out the window as he sat in the back seat of the car Gilbert drove to the Office. The first thing he wanted to do was get an update on what had occurred during his absence and make sure everything was taken care of operationally before he visited Leo in the hospital at the first opportunity he could. Gilbert had kindly taken the liberty of keeping him up to date about the status of Leo's recovery and had been kept in the loop about his improving condition but still wanted to see the young man for himself. Eventually they pulled into the hidden garage's secret entrance and waited until the platform beneath their vehicle raised them to the top-most floor and Gilbert drove and parked the car in an unoccupied spot next to his combat Nautilus. Gilbert exited the driver's seat and was about to make his way to open Klaus' door but his young master had already gotten out on his own and headed towards the elevators. Gilbert locked the car doors with the key fob and followed right after Klaus. They got into the elevator and rode it up in silence but the air around Klaus was almost tangible though he maintained a calm composure. The elevator dinged and the two made their way towards the doors and entered into the Office where Steven, Lucky, K.K., Chain, Zapp and Zed were waiting. Though upon seeing Klaus, Zapp charged forward, eyes gleaming, and leapt into the air looking to apparently get the drop on him.

"I GOTCHA THIS TIME FOR SURE CHIEF!" the white-haired man hollered. However Klaus predictably reacted by simply sidestepping the attack, grabbing the back of his collar and wrapped a thick arm around Zapp's arms and neck, grasping the arm holding the back of Zapp's vest, and putting him in a weird combination of a joint lock and chokehold. Zapp predictably struggled to try and escape while protesting and cursing and as a result only succeeded in running out of oxygen before passing out. Once he did Klaus immediately released him and wordlessly carried the man over to the couch and gently dropped him onto it, not even fazed in the slightest while the others save for Gilbert just sweatdropped at the spectacle.

"Welcome back Klaus," Lucky said trying to get things back on track. "Looks like you've rested and healed well." Klaus hummed in the affirmative as he approached the group and Gilbert wordlessly proceeded to brew some tea.

"I'm doing much better though I apologize for any inconvenience my absence might have caused you all."

"Don't worry about it Klausie," K.K. replied with a lighthearted grin and playful punch to his bulky arm that didn't even budge. "We held up just fine."

"That's right. In fact we were just about to give out everyone's tasks for the day," Steven included gesturing to some papers he held in hand before he took a quick glance through the documents. "Actually you know what, I think we've got things covered for the day unless something substantial pops up. You haven't been checked over by Dr. Estevez yet have you? It'd be a good idea to get the all clear from her personally at Bradbury just to be on the safe side." Klaus blinked at the request and his red brows furrowed in confusion and disagreement but before he could open his mouth to kindly turn down the proposal, that was when he caught Steven's small smirk and realized the true, subtle intention behind the suggestion. A look of understanding quickly took its place and he gave his friend a faint, grateful smile and nodded.

"In that case I'll head there now," Klaus said as he turned on his heels and headed for the door he just came through. Gilbert set the teapot down and motioned to follow Klaus so that he could drive him there but Klaus merely held up a hand to stop him, silently conveying that he would head there alone. Respecting his master's wishes, Gilbert obeyed and went back to serve the tea to the other gathered operatives. "Please inform me of what I've missed when I return," he said to Steven before exiting through the door.

"And here I thought we'd have to twist his arm a bit more," K.K. joked. Zed nodded in agreement.

"He did appear a bit tense when he had entered initially but seemed to relax somewhat after that unexpected display of aggression on Zapp's part. I wonder if such a thing was therapeutic for him," he said seemingly not understanding the underlying true meaning of the conversation. Chain looked a bit smug and contemplative.

"It was certainly therapeutic for me so I guess the Turd Monkey is good for something after all," she remarked with a smug tone as they all cast a glance over to Zapp where Gilbert was using smelling salts to rouse him from his preemptive slumber. Zapp snorted and stirred awake, sitting up and blearily glanced around in confusion.

"H-Huh, whazzat?" He uttered before what had just transpired returned to him and cursed loudly, throwing himself back onto the couch to sulk at yet another loss that had been roughly handed to him.

Klaus exited the market he briefly stopped at clutching a bouquet of flowers and a plastic grocery bag with something inside. He hailed a taxi and could feel his normally vast patience and wear thinner and thinner on the ride there. After an almost agonizing twenty minutes he arrived and he promptly thanked the human driver, paid, and exited with items in hand. Once he stepped through the doorway and entered into the lobby he made his way to Leo's room in the recovery wing, walking calmly yet with purpose. On his way there one of Dr. Estevez's shrunken clones looked up from her clipboard and took notice of the Libra leader.

"Mr. Reinherz," she said in greeting grabbing his attention. Klaus stopped and turned to the medical professional.

"Good morning Miss Estevez," he greeted politely.

"I see you're doing much better," she commented glancing him over and smiling in approval over his much better state. "Normally I would like to think you'd be here for a check up but I think I know you better by now."

"I've been told Leonardo's condition has been improving and wanted to visit him and offer a gift that could help brighten things in his room if that is acceptable," the fanged man replied gesturing to the bouquet.

"It's fine," Dr. Estevez assured with a nod and smile. "Plastic vases are available in the cupboard under the sink in each room. I won't keep you any longer but I _would_ like you to stop by later so that I can examine your injuries to make sure there are no unexpected complications." Klaus nodded in understanding and she turned away to go back to what she was doing before while Klaus resumed his march towards Leo's room. When he finally reached the room, Klaus hesitated only for a brief moment before reaching for the door handle and turning it to bear witness to what waited for him inside.

The steady beeping of the medical equipment greeted his ears as Leo lay unmoving in the bed. His chest rose and fell with each unlabored, steady breath he took from the oxygen that flowed into his nostrils from the breathing tube that had replaced his oxygen mask at some point and the IV in his right arm continued to drip the necessary medication and fluids to keep him hydrated and stable. His relocated left arm was still in its sling draped over his stomach and the cast on his right leg remained unchanged though he hardly sported any excessive bandages than last time save for the ones that wrapped around his eyes and a few remaining wounds that were still healing. Color had now completely returned to his cheeks though he still seemed a bit pale likely from lack of sunlight and the dark bruises that once littered his skin had now almost entirely faded with the exception of a few stubborn ones that still held a sickly green or faint purple color. Most of his noticeable stitches were removed leaving pale pink scars from the incisions that peeked out from the wrappings and loose mint green hospital gown but would also likely heal with a bit more time. Sonic, who had been in the middle of grooming Leo's unruly, brown tufts of hair, glanced up to see who had entered now and saw Klaus.

The Brain Grid user released a breath feeling slightly more at ease after confirming that Leo was indeed alive and well, although still comatose and healing. He quietly shut the door behind him and made his way to the sink where he got the vase from where Dr. Estevez had told him it was and placed the bouquet of flowers in it along with some water from the tap and added the packet of plant nutrients that were included in the bundle before approaching Leo's bedside and placing the vase carefully on the counter beside him. Sonic watched the man curiously, leaping onto the counter to inspect the flowers and sniffing them with a pleased expression before finally turning to the giant man and chirped in greeting.

"Hello to you as well Sonic," Klaus replied. Sonic stared back at him before his attention then drifted down to the plastic bag still held in his hand. Following his gaze, Klaus held up the bag to show him and answer his obvious inquiry. "I brought something to properly thank you for watching over Leonardo as well for as your assistance prior in the Alterworld." Sonic tilted his head intrigued as Klaus reached into the bag and pulled out the object that immediately caused Sonic's large eyes to widen and sparkle, chattering with delight. Klaus held out the bushel of bananas in his large hand and offered it out to the little monkey, to which Sonic moved with blinding speed to snatch the entire bushel from Klaus' palm and promptly disappeared surprising Klaus a bit before he reappeared on top of one of the high cabinets of medical supplies in the corner of the room to enjoy his reward. Sonic greedily stuffed one of the already peeled fruits into his mouth as his cheeks bulged like a hamster and he blushed, sighing in bliss. Klaus chuckled in amusement at the sight before his gaze fell back down onto Leo and his amusement faded. Seeing him lie there so still after all the thrashing and suffering he endured was an unsettling contrast to say the least and Klaus had to take a breath to remind himself that Leo was alive and would pull through. He pulled up one of the padded chairs closer to Leo's bedside and took a seat. For a while Klaus just observed Leo closely, listening to the sound of his breathing and the rhythmic beeping of the medical machinery, before his mind went back to the same thoughts that had been plaguing him ever since Leo's admission.

Klaus thought back to the day he first met Leo, how he allowed himself to be taken for the late Johnny Landis just so he could meet them and plead for their help. Klaus had naturally been at least a little wary at first, especially when Femt unleashed his usual shenanigans at the same time, but he instinctively still moved to protect the boy unsure if he was even someone who could be trusted. But when Leo had told them his story whilst calling himself a coward and weeping with grief over the awful memory of his sister's sacrifice, that was when he knew that he was no threat, just someone given a power he didn't understand looking for help and unaware of his own worth. He knew he couldn't turn Leo away after that and so he gave him a choice, he would join Libra and assist them and in exchange they would help him however way they could (something they had been admittedly neglectful about) and that was the start of it all.

Despite the dangers he encountered during an operation or even in his daily life since joining Libra, Klaus noticed subtle changes in Leo. Barely noticeable at first but eventually Leo began to grow little by little every day and after each operation. He overcame whatever obstacle this city seemed to throw at him even if he didn't come out of it completely unscathed and endured more than his fair share of hardships as well like being constantly hurt, captured, or even homeless and seeking refuge at the office and lord knows what other kind of examples he wasn't even aware of. Regardless, he still remained the same optimistic, selfless, and hardworking person they had all come to know and he showed them that every day. Because of his perseverance, he became a reliable ally for Libra, because of his kindness, he became a dear friend to not only himself but also everyone else on the team, and because of his bravery, he became a hero to the city and even the world on many occasions and Klaus couldn't have been more proud to have him as a part of the team.

Though Klaus knew full well of the risks of Leo joining Libra and the potential danger the young man would no doubt find himself in not just by joining, but should word get out about him possessing the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods. He had just assured himself and everyone else's concerns that if something should happen that they would deal with it…however, it was clear now that he had been perhaps too overconfident. Despite the positive outcomes in the end, Leo still wound up in more treacherous circumstances that should have been allowed to happen in the first place and this time they had gotten _so close_ to losing Leo completely because they couldn't protect him, because _he_ couldn't protect him.

" _Who knows, if you were actually there, not only could you have saved him from that instance, but maybe you could have easily stopped me and prevented all this from happening in the first place_." Pain's words sprang up in Klaus' mind and he clenched his fists in response in both anger and guilt. The Elder Class Blood Breed had tried to get under his skin about the fact that they allowed this sort of thing to happen in order to toy with Klaus but the aggravating thing was that it was not because they lacked the means or the desire to do so; it was because Leo had always _refused_ such measures. He still recalled Leo's words perfectly when he first offered to set him up with better protection than just having Zapp acting as his bodyguard.

" _I'm not worth all the trouble Klaus. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me already but I don't want to be any more of a burden than I already am to you. But if anything does happen then I promise I'll do what I can on my own._ " It wasn't that Klaus doubted Leo's capabilities, after all he had shown his resourcefulness and intelligence many times when in a pinch, but Klaus still felt uneasy and dissatisfied with the response, never mind the desire to protest such self-deprecating words whenever he heard something similar. Nevertheless, he still chose to respect Leo's wishes and tried to accept it. However whenever something did end up happening that left him injured or in danger as a result he often wondered why he was so stubbornly adamant about accepting their offer. At first Klaus thought Leo was just being humble or was embarrassed to receive such treatment (and maybe that was partially true) but suddenly the things Pain had told him during their fight started to resonate a little louder.

" _What instantly drew me to him wasn't just his eyes, it was his suffering. All the pain he has and is still enduring and how he oh so desperately tries to hide that desolation, letting it fester so deep down inside so that no one can see…His doubts and fears, his self-loathing, his insecurities and misery…And why wouldn't he feel like that? After all, he is in essence a Huma that the Gods decided would be nothing more than an instrument to be used by those who seek power and control…to have your life dictated and over-written on a mere whim by higher beings and your only purpose in life that was once limitless now defined to be nothing short of a plaything. Carrying a weight like that on your shoulders would be enough to destroy any person's self-worth without being able to confide in anyone who could possibly understand how he feels._ "

Though Klaus still believed one hundred percent in what he had told Pain about Leo's strength he had to wonder…was that truly how Leo felt sometimes?

" _You clearly don't really know anything about that whelp at all._ "

Klaus clenched his jaw and tightened his fists a little more before forcing them to relax before he accidentally broke something. He sighed and tried to calm himself as he came to the unwelcome realization that, as much as he didn't want to admit it, Pain had been right about one thing: they _couldn't_ always be there to protect him. As long as Leo was a part of Libra and possessed the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods, these things would continue to happen.

"But it never should have gotten to this point in the first place," Klaus muttered solemnly under his breath staring at his lap before glancing up to Leo. Again, remorse squirmed in his gut when he thought back to his initial dismissal of Leo's concerns prior to the start of this mess and the way he suffered constantly not just from the effects of the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur but from what he also must have endured while in the hands of the Blood Breeds that imprisoned him. In spite of all that suffering, Leo _still_ found the fortitude, regardless of the consequences to himself, to provide them with the one thing that resulted in their victory. If that wasn't a testament to Leo's strength, Klaus didn't know what was but it didn't help to ease his own apprehension. That was when something occurred to him. The Alterworldly sorceress that had helped them had mentioned something about a price that he would have to pay. Perhaps _this_ was the price she was referring to: his own, nagging guilt and regret over his own inaction and the unsettling fear that something like this or worse could happen again. Suddenly he felt like he understood Leo's own guilt towards his sister's blindness just a little bit better now.

Klaus let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes briefly to recollect himself from that grim train of thought and reopened them to study Leo once more, his gaze now one of firm determination rather than solemn disquiet. Regardless of what could or couldn't have been prevented Klaus knew one thing, he wasn't going to allow this pattern to continue any longer. Just as Leo had, he would use the guilt as a means to drive him. He silently vowed that he would take better steps to not only ensure Leo's life for the future, but also assist him in whatever struggles or consequences that may come of this experience. Perhaps he could convince Leo to consider learning some form of self-defense once he fully recovers. Klaus also realized that maybe it was also time to start fulfilling his end of the deal he had made with Leo so long ago. By this time, Sonic had polished off the last banana, leaving the peels messily strewn about as he patted his full stomach in satisfaction, and observed Klaus from his perch in curiosity as he pulled out his smart phone. Klaus tapped on the messenger app and texted Steven a brief update to the situation as well as informing him that he would actually not be returning to the office as soon as he anticipated, only giving the excuse that he was looking into something important. Within a matter of a few minutes Steven responded with a confirmation of understanding, not questioning Klaus' actions though he was sure Steven was curious as to what he was up to, and that they would talk more when Klaus got back. Klaus then closed the messenger app and pulled up his phone's Internet app to do some preliminary research as Sonic scurried down from the cabinet and onto his broad shoulder and they both settled in to wait by Leo's side for however long it would take.  
_

Klaus had stayed in Leo's room as long as he could but after nearly seven hours (one hour longer than the usual cut off time for visitation), Dr. Estevez had to put her foot down and once more shooed the large, red-haired man from Leo's room. His solo-research had unfortunately been less than productive but Klaus remained undeterred nevertheless as he returned to the office following his much-prolonged examination in an effort to appease the shrunken doctor. There he and Steven had met to discuss matters pertaining to Libra's operations and available manpower as Klaus was caught up to date about what he had missed during his absence whilst figuring out how to best set up protective care for Leo for as long as he might be in his vulnerable state. Over the next five days, multiple lower-ranking Libra operatives were either assigned in or out of Leo's room or discreetly watching over it from a distance though some visited voluntarily including K.K., Chain, Zed, Zapp (oddly enough), Steven, and of course Klaus himself. They had tried to stay as positive as they could but with each day that passed with no changes, the harder it became to believe that Leo would wake up at all and before they knew it, nearly two weeks had gone by.

Klaus and Steven were sitting in Leo's hospital room facing towards each other as a chessboard sat between the two of them on the small table, likely trying to distract their restive selves from their steadily increasing concerns. Sonic was present, as per usual, dozing a bit whilst trying to sun himself on the windowsill with the faint streams of fog-obscured sunlight that filtered through the window located between the two men. Lulled by the rhythmic beeping machines and occasional clacking of chess pieces on the wooden surface, Sonic's large eyes started to close until his ear twitched and his eyes snapped open. He immediately righted himself up, catching Klaus' attention as he leapt off the windowsill. Steven was in the middle of contemplating his next move but when he finally made his play and glanced up to Klaus to see his reaction, he instead found Klaus' direction turned elsewhere, posture rigid and eyes noticeably wider with disbelief. Following his gaze he turned his head to see what had him so transfixed and found himself straightening up as well.

Sonic leaned closely over Leo's form as his fingers twitched and his head shifted slightly on the pillow. It wasn't until a few faint noises and groans escaped his lips that Klaus was broken from his frozen state and he quickly rose from his chair and took a tentative step closer.

"Leonardo?" Klaus said in a low, hopeful voice. Leo's brow creased in response before relaxing as he could only assume Leo had finally opened his eyes from behind the bandages. When Leo did not move or respond right away, Klaus had opened his mouth to try again but stopped mid-action when Leo finally turned his head towards Klaus' direction. Leo seemed to observe them almost as if he couldn't quite process anything that he may have been seeing (or couldn't see?) and Klaus and Steven both panicked for a split second as they thought back to Dr. Estevez's warnings about potential repercussions of the coma or his overheating eyes. However, their worries faded a bit when Leo opened his mouth to try and speak.

"K-Klau—" was all Leo could hoarsely get out before he broke into a coughing fit startling them all and causing Sonic to chatter in distress. Jumping into action, Klaus grabbed a nearby empty glass next to a pitcher of ice water kindly provided to them by one of the nurses and poured a glass as Steven quickly hit the call button to alert Dr. Estevez. Plunking a straw in the water, Klaus placed a hand behind Leo's back to gently ease him up. On shaky limbs, Leo allowed himself to be assisted upright after finding moving his left was difficult and he weakly grasped the glass with his good limb as Klaus held it, taking a drink from the straw. He winced a bit as the cool liquid ran down his parched and likely still raw esophagus but regardless guzzled more than half of the glass before pulling away to take a breath and let out a few light coughs to clear his throat. Klaus set the glass down and gently eased him back against the slanted mattress and pillow as the now calmer Sonic immediately cozied up to Leo's side, wrapping his small arms around his side evidently glad that his human friend was finally awake. Leo rested momentarily in the hospital bed and glanced between Klaus and Steven looking quite lost and out of it likely as a result from his coma.

"What happened?" Leo rasped out, exhaustion and confusion heavily lacing his tone. Again Klaus and Steven felt the unsettling sensation of dread as they considered the possible ramifications of Leo's coma and the curse that had plagued him. The two men exchanged wary glances with each other but before either of them could say anything, three of Dr. Estevez's clones walked briskly into the room. Looking simultaneously surprised and pleased for the briefest of moments, two of the copies immediately got to work assessing Leo's condition while the third motioned for Klaus and Steven to give them some room before then turning to Leo.

"Glad to see you're finally awake Mr. Watch," she said with a pleasant smile as her copies did a quick checking the hospital equipment's readings and assessing Leo's vitals as he lay there confused. "You've been in a coma for quite a while following your less than ideal experience." Leo blinked owlishly under the bandages as his sluggish mind tried to process the new information.

"A coma?" he repeated bewildered. Seeing Leo's reaction, Dr. Estevez quickly cut in to try and mitigate the possibility of triggering any kind of further trauma.

"I know you have a lot of questions and concerns but right now I need to complete a full check-up to make sure there are no immediate complications," she explained as she donned her stethoscope. The clone listened to Leo's heartbeat while another took his blood pressure and urged him to lean forward to physically examine him for potential bedsores and the third checked his reflexes and motor skills. "Do you feel any pain at all?"

"No, not really," Leo replied slowly becoming more coherent. Though after a bit of thought he added on. "But I feel kinda…numb, and weak."

"That's likely due to the small amount of pain medication still left in your system as well as muscle atrophy, which is to be expected given the amount of time you've been immobile." She looked a bit pensive before asking her next query. "And how are your eyes?" Klaus and Steven waited in anxious silence for Leo's response.

"Everything is kind of blurry and my head feels a little achy but…I can still see okay." Mild relief filled them as one clone hummed and wrote down the results of their findings as well as Leo's account on the clipboard hanging on the wall by the door. After a few more tense minutes of questions and examinations, the three clones shut down and stored the hospital machinery that was no longer needed (though leaving him still attached to his IV, breathing tube, and a small pulse monitor as a precaution) and gave them a small, satisfied smile.

"Well, it looks like you're recovering quite well from when you were first brought in but it also seems like you have some blank spots in memory due to the severe trauma you endured. With any luck it may restore itself over time but it's hard to say for sure, though I don't expect it to have any seriously severe consequences if it doesn't. We _will_ however have to keep you here for a bit longer under observation to be on the safe side until you're fully recovered to make sure there are no unexpected issues that may arise. I also would like to run a few more tests on your eyes to make sure there is no lasting, serious damage but we will discuss the details of your care more a bit later. For now, just try and focus on getting some more rest."

"Okay," Leo agreed. She then turned her attention to Klaus and Steven.

"If anything else comes up don't hesitate to use the call button and a nurse or myself should be by to assist." The two Libra men nodded in understanding.

"We will. Thank you doctor," Steven said gratefully she nodded and the three clones left the room and shut the door behind them. At long last, the tension finally seemed to release its hold on Klaus and he let out a relieved breath before taking a seat next to Leo's bed and focusing on him.

"We are so grateful that you are all right Leonardo," Klaus said earnestly.

"I'll say. You gave us a hell of a scare for a while there kid," Steven agreed with a small smile in his usual nonchalant manner.

"I'm sorry," Leo apologized, sheepishly bowing his head to glance down into his lap where Sonic had comfortably repositioned himself.

"Don't be," Klaus interjected gently. "What happened was in no way any fault of your own. If anything, we are the ones who owe _you_ an apology for how things transpired." Leo blanched, feeling a bit awkward as he shook his head and waved his good hand in disagreement.

"You don't need to apologize for anything Klaus. I was the one who got caught in the first place and you guys were the ones who saved me…again." Klaus opened his mouth to protest but Steven cut in to stop the potential apology war.

"Well let's just agree to say that the real culprit behind this mess is no longer a concern." That comment seemed to bring the other two back to the present as they realized Steven was right. Leo turned to them with an expression of both curiosity and dread.

"How long was I in the coma?" Klaus was a bit hesitant but answered regardless.

"Nearly two weeks," he replied and predictably Leo gaped in shock.

"Two weeks?" he repeated in disbelief.

"Well, to be more precise, more like 12 days, 8 hours, 43 minutes and 27 seconds," he corrected glancing to the room's wall clock. "You're lucky it wasn't any longer than that," he added before suddenly something seemed to occur to him. "Which reminds me, I have an important call to make. Excuse me." With that said he headed for the door and left the room leaving Klaus and Leo behind in a bit of an awkward silence as they both seemed to struggle to figure out what to say next. Eventually, after coming to terms with the amount of time that had passed, Leo spoke up before Klaus had the opportunity.

"So, what exactly happened when I was, you know, captured and unconscious?" The series of events from the past two and a half weeks rushed back to Klaus with startling speed. Seeing as though Leo didn't really remember most of his rescue, he was unsure exactly how much he wanted to tell him in fear of possibly triggering some kind of post-traumatic stress and contemplated downplaying the events for him. However he quickly decided against it and chided himself for thinking poorly of Leo's almost uncanny ability to bounce back. For better or worse, he owed it to Leo to be honest with him especially after everything that's happened.

And so, Klaus obliged and for the next fifteen minutes he told Leo everything that had occurred following his kidnapping by the King of Pain: their dismal return to the Office, Femt's unexpected proposal and alliance, the tense hours of meticulous planning and much anticipated discovery of Leo's location, the journey into the Alterworld and sneaking into the factory with Femt's assistance, the harrowing battle with Pain and all of his Blood Breed forces and finally, after much internal deliberation, how Leo had entered into his coma following narrowly avoiding certain death from the Maledictum's awakening into self-awareness and his subsequent transport to the hospital. While Klaus had not been too specific about the details regarding the unknown Alterworldly sorceress' involvement (or what she had let slip following the successful curse removal as Klaus did not want to divulge that part to anyone just yet), Leo thought that he could vaguely recall the distant voices of Klaus and the others at some point but figured he had likely just imaged it or was subconsciously embellishing the story with false memories. Nevertheless, a small feeling of warmth flickered through him at that nice sentiment before the suffocating and persistent feelings of self-reproach and shame snuffed it out and brought him back to reality as the memories started to slowly trickle back to him.

"So in the end I just ended up causing more trouble for everyone again and nearly got you all killed," he said dejectedly glancing back down at his lap and allowing Sonic to gaze up at him sympathetically while Klaus listened in clear disapproval though his expression did not accurately convey it. "I'm sorry I was such a burden to you."

Klaus' expression then immediately shifted from neutral to visibly upset and in a rare display of physical anger, Klaus stamped his foot hard enough to nearly crack the tile beneath him causing both Leo and Sonic to jump and panic (pulse monitor showing the subtle rise of Leo's heart rate). Immediately Leo turned to face Klaus and began to apologize, obviously thinking he had been the one at fault to upset the usually gentle giant. Although in actuality, Leo's words had triggered the unwelcome words spoken by Pain that still continued to ring in his head.

" _You clearly don't really know anything about that whelp at all._ "

Klaus directed his attention to the flustered and guilt-ridden lad and spoke in a stern voice that instantly caught his attention.

"Leonardo."

"Y-Yes?" Leo stuttered, shrinking back slightly as Klaus got to his feet. He remained in place for a moment but stared intently at him.

"You know for a fact that that is not even remotely true, don't you?" Leo's fear and panic was momentarily replaced by surprise and puzzlement at that statement as Klaus continued. "You are far stronger than you realize or seem to give yourself credit for and for the sake of preventing future disagreements I'd like to clarify some things for you." Klaus approached the stunned male and knelt down so that he was eye level to him and gently but firmly grasped his shoulders.

"Please engrave what I am about to say into your heart Leonardo because I never want you to forget or doubt them again. I don't know what kind of life you've lead up until arriving in Hellsalem's Lot nor what kinds of hardships you've suffered in the past or perhaps are struggling with even now, but I do know one thing: you are _not_ a burden. You are _not_ useless and you are _not_ a tool. You, a normal young man, have overcome many struggles most people have never and will never experience and helped to resolve many a crisis that threatened both the city and the world, some instances of which you did single-handedly including protecting your sister against a threat none of us were even aware of. I'm not sure if you recall, but quite some time ago I told you that it wasn't just your eyes that we welcomed into Libra however it seems that I failed to elaborate what else we welcomed from you." Klaus paused to let his next words sink in.

"It was your spirit Leonardo; your will that remains unyielding in spite of the overwhelming adversity, your altruism that compels you to fight for the sake of others no matter the cost, and the immeasurable strength you possess that allows you to triumph in your endeavors. Were it not for your actions in not only fighting the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur head-on for as long and as hard as you did, but procuring the King of Pain's true name in addition, we all likely would not have made it out of that situation alive. Do not ever question your worth again because you, Leonardo Watch, are and will always be a proud and valued member of Libra, one that I'm glad I have the pleasure in knowing. And I know for a fact that I am not the only one who thinks this as well."

Leo could only stare mouth slightly agape at Klaus, the very personification of strength as far as he was concerned, as he tried to process every word he had heard from him. Klaus eventually released his grip from his shoulders but before Leo could find his voice to inquire what Klaus had meant with that last sentence, loud noises from the hall outside and several fast-approaching footsteps neared the door causing Leo and Klaus both to direct their attention towards it. No sooner had they done so did the door practically fly open and K.K. stood in the doorway with a look of expectant urgency before her one good eye landed on Leo and she broke into a wide grin and rushed him with a small, delighted squeal pulling him into a firm hug while still being careful to not further harm him as Klaus rose back to his feet.

"About time you woke up kiddo," she fussed as Leo became a bit flustered at the unexpected show of affection. Almost instantly, Zed then arrived stopping in the doorway with a look of visible relief.

"Leo, thank goodness you're—"

"Out of the way squid-for-brains! I got a bone to pick with that squinty-eyed little nut sack!" Zapp interrupted trying to get into the room but only succeeding to get them both stuck in the doorway despite Zed's protests. The two struggled for a moment before suddenly they were both catapulted into the room courtesy of Chain who planted one foot into each of their backs with enough force to send the both of them face planting into the ground as she stayed crouched on top of them. "SERIOUSLY?!" Zapp shouted lifting his head up to reveal a bloody nose from the hard impact.

"Why me as well?" Zed questioned also lifting his head up with a visible red mark where his nose would have been as Chain hopped off of them.

"You were in the way," she replied nonchalantly. The two Big Dipper Style users quickly got to their feet when Patrick and Neyka then entered into the room.

"Yo Leo! Good to see you're not dead," Patrick said boisterously with his usual grin and enthusiasm. Neyka, who was in the middle of giving him a silent yet cheerful wave in greeting, then stopped to glare pointedly at him for the potentially insensitive remark and gave Patrick a slug in the arm. "Oops, uh, my bad," the dark-skinned weapons-lover sheepishly apologized rubbing the back of his head. Hummer and Deldro then quickly peeked into the room and Hummer's handsome face lit up immediately.

"Leo! We came as soon as we heard you were awake," Hummer exclaimed quickly striding into the room.

"Ha! The kid didn't croak after all. The warden owes me five zeroes," Deldro commented smugly.

"When did you place bets?" Hummer asked looking to his plasma partner curiously. Before he could reply, the sound of a brief feminine shriek and crashing of metal was heard before the wheel from a wheelchair rolled past the open doorway prior to Lucky entering the room followed by Steven and Gilbert who brought up the rear.

"You know, I didn't call you all to inform you of the kid's condition just so you could lay waste to the hospital," Steven deadpanned.

"I agree, you all need to have better control over yourselves, honestly," Lucky replied with a light scolding tone, causing Steven to roll his eyes at his obliviousness before glancing up to Leo and his exasperation shifted into a grin.

"Hope you don't mind the extra, impromptu company kid. I figured if they didn't stop by now they would have just bugged you later," Steven said jokingly.

"Who's bugging who?" Lucky interjected almost offended before turning his attention to Leo with a pleased grin. "In any case, it's good to finally see you up and at-'em Leonardo," Lucky said as Gilbert approached Klaus' side and gave the young man a polite bow of his head and faint smile in his own silent greeting. "And, how are your eyes?"

"Really? _That's_ the first thing you ask him," K.K. snipped relinquishing the flabbergasted Leo from her hug to glare at the harbinger of bad luck.

"Now, now, it's a fair question," Steven tried to calmly reason which only succeeded in getting K.K. to turn on him.

" _You're_ no better!" she retorted with a scowl causing Steven to raise his hands in a placating gesture. Zapp brushed himself off from his fall and snorted.

"Christ, don't you people have anything better to do instead of falling all over yourselves to check up on the Pube Head?"

"Then why are _you_ here exactly?" Zed retorted in a flat tone. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but on at least two or three different occasions, didn't you visit Leo here in the hospital prior when he was still comatose because you were wor—"

"For the last freakin' time, I was NOT worried! I just had nothing better to do!" Zapp interjected defensively.

"But you're not denying the fact that you came here on your own free will now when there's no other plausible excuse why," Chain cut in, doubling down on calling out Zapp's BS.

"Who the hell asked _you_ , She-Bitch?!" Zapp protested loudly turning a bit red at the sudden exposure. As if summoned by Zapp's inquiry (or perhaps more because of the loud commotion and swearing), the fully-grown version of Dr. Estevez entered back into the room with a displeased expression.

" _Please_ keep your voices down," Dr. Estevez scolded. "I understand you all are relieved upon seeing Leonardo's recovery but this is still a hospital and you are disturbing the other patients." Some of the Libra crew had the decency to look a bit abashed by this reminder while others were unfazed and continued their squabbling.

"Our apologies Miss Estevez," Klaus said taking the liberty to speak for his team turning his attention towards the doctor.

Leo however was speechless. As he looked to each member in the room, who were momentarily lost in their own squabbles or interactions with each other that they paid him no mind, he took in the sight of their shimmering, golden auras that seemed to blaze brighter than the fog-obscured sun did and it sparked the same miniscule sensation of warmth in his chest. All the negative emotions that he had felt during the past several weeks, maybe even months, began to slowly melt away from the nearly overwhelming heat that was quickly spreading through him, overtaking the numbness resulting from the lingering painkillers in his system. That was when he finally seemed to recognize the proper name for this warmth and sensation.

Acceptance.

So overcome by this revelation and the almost burning warmth that seemed to scald him from the inside-out, Leo slowly grasped the blanket and sheets in his right hand and his body and shoulders began to tremble, startling Sonic who was still seated in his lap as he quickly whirled around to try and console him. Quickly picking up on his apparent distress, Klaus also became alarmed and turned his focus to him but his panic was short lived as Leo began to laugh, quietly and first, before slowly building into warm, mirthful chuckles as loud as his still sore throat could manage. This captured the attention of the others present in the room and they all collectively ceased their communications and turned to Leo, clearly concerned and confused. Slowly however, the chuckles gradually turned to gentle weeping. Sniveling, he repeatedly wiped what he could of his face and curled forward in on himself as much as his sore body could manage but was still unable to stop the tears that dampened the bandages over his eyes; so moved by the wonderfulness and ridiculousness of it all but unsure of how else to react. Understanding his silent plight, everyone in the room did not interfere and instead just gave the young holder of the All-Seeing Eyes his space, quiet sobs escaping from his mouth and a few stray tears running from underneath his bandages as they allowed him to unleash his pent up emotions without judgment.  
_

Author's Notes: While I'm sure most of you are tired of me saying this, I'll still say it regardless, I'm sorry it took so long to get this out! I won't bore you with my excuses so let's just get into it. This chapter was by-far my favorite one to work on; it was also the very chapter that I had been looking to do when I first started creating and writing this story so I hope you all like it as much as I did. Hopefully I didn't make everyone too OOC but let me know what you all think, I'd really like to hear from you. It looks like Leo is finally starting to get some closure after his awful experience with Pain and hopefully Libra can help him pull himself together now that everything is said and done! With one chapter left it has been a roller coaster but unfortunately, as time and energy is something I've been severely lacking, I have no idea when the next chapter will be posted (it will probably take about as long as it took to get this chapter out but as always I'll do my best to get it done ASAP). I actually need some time to plot out the next chapter as writer's block had been hitting me hard but on a positive note, I also hinted last chapter that I may have something special planned at the end so you'll have to check back in the next chapter to see what it could be! Thanks so much to himekuroyuki853, Malmal0523, Afiana Arch, DreamSeeker35, nightwalker .shiffer, kyunauzunami, oriharaizayatr248, Cheshide, and allka for favoriting and following this story! I hope to see you all, as well as all my other readers who have been sticking with this story, in the conclusion. Until next time!


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